Tardigrades of North Carolina
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View PDFPilatobiidae Members: 2 NC Records

Pilatobius patanei (Binda & Pilato, 1971) - No Common Name


Dorsal surface showing gibbosities, PC
Taxonomy
Class: EutardigradaOrder: Parachela Family: PilatobiidaeSubfamily: Pilatobiiinae Checklist Number: 1400.0 Synonym: Diphascon patanei (see Bartels et al. 2021)
Taxonomic Comments: Transferred from Diphascon by Bertolani et al. 2014. Morphologically indistinguishable from species first described in Sicily. No DNA evidence available for further comparison. Family designation follows Tumanov & Tsvetkova (2023).
Species Notes: Terrestrial. Only reported from GSMNP in US.
Identification
Online resources:Online Photographs: Google, GBIF                                                                                 
Species Description: Eyed. Cuticle sculptured with 8 transverse rows of hemispherical gibbosities (2 per row); cuticle with characteristic polygonal sculpture; the polygons are larger rostrally (1.5-2 µm). The gibbosities are dorsal in the first 7 rows, dorsolateral in the last. The first row (rostral) corresponds to the first pair of legs. Buccal tube (rigid) which is prolonged a short way beyond the stylet supports and presents a thickening in the shape of a “drop” near its connection to the flexible pharyngeal tube, which is a short oval (20-22 µm x 18-16 µm), with length:width ratio equal to 1.21-1.25:1, containing apophyses, 2 macroplacoids, and septula, without microplacoid. The first macroplacoid (3.7 µm) is longer than the second (3 µm). Cuticular bar on the first three par of legs. Eggs unknown. The principal differences between bullatum and elongatum are: the polygonal sculpture and not punctuation of the cuticle, with polygons of about 1.5-2 µm. The species is near to iltisi, but this does not have gibbosities and the claws are different. The species was observed on Aeolian Islands (Stromboli and Salina), in Sicily, Istria, and Trieste Carso.
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length: Up to 230 microns.
Key Characters: The genus Pilatobious has a buccal tube drop, roundish pharynx, and 2 comma-like macroplacoids and septulum. This species has eyes, cuticular granules, 8 rows of paired gibbosities, claw bars I-III.
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: Soil/leaf litter. Also, rock moss, tree lichen, and tree moss.
Abundance: Very rare. This species makes up 0.09% of specimens of terrestrial species collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bartels' inventory.
Diet: Microbivore.
Reproduction: Smooth eggs deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods: PC and DIC.
Wikipedia

 Photo Gallery for Pilatobius patanei - No common name

Photos: 9

Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal surface showing gibbosities, PC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Median plane, PC.
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal surface, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Median plane, DIC.
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Lateral, DIC (note gibbosities as slight bulges along dorsum. DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Buccal apparatus, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Claws, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Granulation and gibbosities along dorsal cuticle edge, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Lateral, PC