Tardigrades of North Carolina
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View PDFPilatobiidae Members: 1 NC Records

Pilatobius ramazzottii (Robotti, 1970) - No Common Name


Habitus, ventral, DIC
Taxonomy
Class: EutardigradaOrder: Parachela Family: PilatobiidaeSubfamily: Pilatobiiinae Checklist Number: 1410.0 Synonym: Diphascon cf. ramazzottii (see Bartels et al. 2021)
Taxonomic Comments: Transferred from Diphascon by Bertolani et al. 2014. Morphologically indistinguishable from species first described in Italy. No DNA evidence available for further comparison. Family designation follows Tumanov & Tsvetkova (2023).
Species Notes: Terrestrial. Reported from Canada and in US only from Alaska and GSMNP.
Identification
Online resources:Online Photographs: Google, GBIF                                                                                 
Species Description: Maximum length 435 µm, more often 350 µm, colorless, eyed. Cuticle with extremely fine granulation, more evident caudally. Pharyngeal tube very narrow (internal diameter 1.23 µm, about 1.3 times as long as the pharynx. Between the buccal tube and the pharyngeal tube exists the “drop” formation. Pharynx oval, with length:width ratio equal to 1.51; large apophyses, 2 macroplacoids and septula; lacking the microplacoid. The first macroplacoid is almost 1.5 times as long as the second and bears a type of little button at the caudal end. Each leg has a large gibbosity, rendered bi-lobe by a longitudinal depression: on the 4th pair, in dorsal observation, the gibbosity covers the doubleclaw. On the first three pair of legs exists, near to the claws a cuticular bar, lacking the accessory points on the principal branches of the claws. Eggs (3-4, of 60 x 80 µm) deposited in the exuvium.
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length: Up to 435 microns.
Key Characters: Eyes, cuticular granules, 1 gibbosity on each leg, claw bars I-III. First macroplacoid bears little button at caudal end.
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: Moss and lichen.
Abundance: Rare. This species makes up 0.15% 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 ramazzottii - No common name

Photos: 4

Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-07-20
Swain Co.
Comment: Habitus, ventral, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-07-20
Swain Co.
Comment: Buccal apparatus, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-07-20
Swain Co.
Comment: Claws III, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-07-20
Swain Co.
Comment: Claws IV, DIC