Tardigrades of North Carolina
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Comments
Scientific Name:
Family:
BATILLIPEDIDAE
CALOHYPSIBIIDAE
DORYPHORIBIIDAE
ECHINISCIDAE
EOHYPSIBIIDAE
HALECHINISCIDAE
HYPSIBIIDAE
ISOHYPSIBIIDAE
ITAQUASCONIDAE
MACROBIOTIDAE
MICROHYPSIBIIDAE
MILNESIIDAE
MURRAYIDAE
PILATOBIIDAE
RAMAZZOTTIIDAE
RICHTERSIUSIDAE
STYGARCTIDAE
STYRACONYXIDAE
TANARCTIDAE
Order:
APOCHELA
"ARTHROTARDIGRADES"
ECHINISCOIDEA
PARACHELA
Class:
Heterotardigrada
Eutardigrada
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Calohypsibiidae Members:
Calohypsibius ornatus
Calohypsibius schusteri
1 NC Records
Calohypsibius ornatus
(Richters, 1900) - No Common Name
SEM by Diane Nelson
Taxonomy
Class:
Eutardigrada
Order:
Parachela
Family:
Calohypsibiidae
Checklist Number:
1080.0
Synonym:
Hypsibius (Calohypsibius) armatus Bartos, 1938, Hypsibius (Calohypsibius) intermedius Mihelcic, 1939,
Taxonomic Comments:
This species is extremely variable morphologically (see Bartos 1940). Some DNA data is available for C. ornatus but not for N.Am. populations.
Species Notes:
Terrestrial. Often reported from high elevation sights throughout Europe and beyond. Appears cosmopolitan but might be cryptic species cluster. Arguably the most beautiful of all eutardigrades.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
Eye spots absent: in the position which they occupy, there are instead two papillae. On the dorsum and on a good portion of the lateral surface are 8 transverse rows of cuticular spines or thorns (from 8 to 12 per row); the first transverse row is situated with the fourth pair and has particularly long spines. The cephalic region bears rounded papillae, similar to small knobs, and these papillae are also found dorsally and laterally, between the rows of spines. Buccal tube very narrow, pharynx oval with apophyses and 2 macroplacoids (rounded granules); lacking microplacoid; doubleclaws of each leg of about equal size and Calohypsibius type appearance.
Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length:
Up to 180 microns.
Key Characters:
In Calophybius the primary claws are rigidly attached to the secondaries and the buccal tube is very thin with no ventral lamina. In this species dorsal cuticle beautifully sculptured with 8 rows of long spines.
Key Character Images
SEM Gasiorek et al 2019.
Claws IV Gasiorek et al 2019. Characteristic of genus.
ID Requirements:
Identifiable only by close inspection of key characters or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Lichen and mosses on trees. Often at high elevation.
Abundance:
Rare in Nelson's 1975 collections on Roan Mt. Very rare in Bartels' smokies inventory, only recorded from TN side of park.
Diet:
Herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Smooth eggs laid in shed exuvium.
Observation Methods:
PC, DIC and SEM microscopy.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Calohypsibius ornatus
- No common name
Photos: 8
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: SEM by Diane Nelson
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Drawing from Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: claws IV. Gasiorek et al 2019
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Genus trait: furca shape. Gasiorek et al 2019
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Genus trait: apophyses for attachment of stylet muscles Gasiorek et al 2019
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Buccal apparatus, lateral. Gasiorek et al 2019
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Habitus, PC. Gasiorek et al 2019
Recorded by: Nelson on 1971-10-15
Mitchell Co.
Comment: Habitus SEM. Gasiorek et al 2019