Diphascon (Diphascon) nobilei ( Binda, 1969 )

Pilato, Giovanni, Binda, Maria Grazia, Bertolani, Roberto & Lisi, Oscar, 2005, Four new species of the Diphascon nobilei group (Eutardigrada, Hypsibiidae), Journal of Natural History 39 (14), pp. 1029-1041 : 1031-1032

Diphascon (Diphascon) nobilei ( Binda, 1969)

( Figure 1 ; Table I)

Material examined

Gela (Caltanissetta): holotype (slide N. 1118); Pietra Cannone (Mt Etna, Fornazzo): four specimens .

The description of the species is confirmed but we noted the presence of granules of pigment also in the position of the eyes. We suspect that in the description of Binda (1969) these granules were mistaken for eyes. The holotype is mounted in polyvinyl lactophenol and therefore it is not possible to solve this problem, it is therefore necessary to find other specimens.

In the description, Binda (1969) wrote that one accessory point is present on the main branches of the claws; we noted that the orientation of the claws makes it difficult to see the accessory points, but on one claw two accessory points seem to be present.

The claws have wide branches and, as a consequence, they appear stout ( Figure 1B, C ); on the hind legs the basal portion of the claws is wide with well-visible basal spines; smaller basal spines are present on the claws (both external and internal) of the first three pairs of legs ( Figure 1B ).

In Figure 1A the bucco-pharyngeal apparatus is shown. In Table I the dimensions of some structures of the holotype are indicated.

Figures

Figure 1. Diphascon (D.) nobilei Binda, 1969. (A) Bucco-pharyngeal apparatus; (B) claws of the third pair of legs; (C) claws of the fourth pair of legs. Scale bar: 10 Mm.