Tardigrades of North Carolina
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View PDFHypsibiidae Members: 1 NC Records

Hypsibius microps Thulin, 1928 - No Common Name


Buccal aparatus, DIC
Taxonomy
Class: EutardigradaOrder: Parachela Family: HypsibiidaeSubfamily: Hypsibiinae Checklist Number: 1270.0 Synonym: Isohypsibius n. sp. 3 (see Bartels 2021)
Taxonomic Comments: Species redescribed by Kaczmarek & Michalczyk (2009). Very similar to H. pallidus. Bartels' Smokies collection needs rexamination to verify these identifications.
Species Notes: Terrestrial. Reported from Canada to Argentina, but these (and some additional occurrences on the TN side of the GSMNP) are the only records from US.
Identification
Online resources:Online Photographs: Google, GBIF                                                                                 
Species Description: Body white/transparent (Fig. 13). Large eyes present. Cuticle smooth, without pores. Bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of the Hypsibius type (Figs.7, 15). Mouth anteroventral,without lamellae or papulae. Oral cavity armature absent or not detectable under DIC. Buccal tube rigid and with one bend in posterior part (visible in lateral view). Ventral buccal lamina absent. Pharyngeal bulb almost spherical with distinct triangular apophyses, two macroplacoids and without the microplacoid. Macroplacoids in the shape of small granules (almost as wide as long), without constrictions. The first microplacoid only slightly longer than the second (Figs.7, 15). Claws of the Hypsibius-type, small and stout (Figs.8–9, 16–17). Internal claws much smaller and in a different shape than the external ones. External claws with slender primary branches connected with the rest of the claw by a thinner, lightrefracting part. Secondary branches equal or longer than base claws (i.e., primary branches seem to be attached low, near the claw base), secondary branches relative lengths vary between 50.0% and 62.9% (mean ± SD: 57.3 ± 3.2%, calculated from all measurable claws, n=20). Internal claws smaller and more robust with primary branches connected to the rest of the claw without a thinner, light-refracting part (Fig. 9). Primary branches of external and internal claws with distinct accessory points. Lunules and other cuticular structures on legs absent.
-Kaczmarek & Michalcyk 2009
Body Length: 150-230 microns.
Key Characters: Cuticle smooth, two rows of macroplacoids small, round and equal in size.
Key Character Images
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: Rock mosss, occassionally seen in stream sediments.
Abundance: Rare. This species makes up 0.30% of terrestrial specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bartels' inventory.
Diet: Probably herbivorous.
Reproduction: Smooth eggs deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods: DIC and PC
Wikipedia

 Photo Gallery for Hypsibius microps - No common name

Photos: 3

Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-11-10
Swain Co.
Comment: Buccal aparatus, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-11-10
Swain Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-11-10
Swain Co.
Comment: Claws, DIC