Tardigrades of North Carolina
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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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Ramazzottiidae Members:
Ramazzottius baumanni
Ramazzottius belubellus
Ramazzottius cf. oberhaeuseri
Ramazzottius n. species
54 NC Records
Ramazzottius baumanni
(Ramazzotti, 1962) - No Common Name
Habitus, lateral, PC
Habitus, lateral, PC
Taxonomy
Class:
Eutardigrada
Order:
Parachela
Family:
Ramazzottiidae
Checklist Number:
1490.0
Taxonomic Comments:
This species is morphologically indistinguishable from the species first described from Chile. No DNA data is available for further comparison.
Species Notes:
Terrestrial. Reported from various states throughout US.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
Eye spots absent. The sculpture, which covers the entire dorsal and lateral surfaces -- legs included -- is composed of a large granulation, in which the elements assume the appearance of platelets more or less circular or polygonal, especially in the median zone of the dorsum. The individual platelets, which are really tubercles flattened at their apices, may reach 8-9 µm in diameter and they resemble, especially those of larger size, what is present on the caudal region of Diphascon nodulosum Ramazzotti. In the rostral and caudal regions of the tardigrade and on the legs, especially on the anterior, the platelets diminish in diameter, reduced sometimes (but not always) to a strong granulation of tubercles. The cuticle on the ventral surface, including that of the legs, is smooth. The animal, observed dorsally, shows 9 transverse bands of reddish brown color, very protruding (with exception of the rostral two); on several of these bands, in particular from the fourth to the eighth, the platelets tend to cluster to form a gibbosity, not always clearly defined in number and position, and variable from one individual to another. Sometimes there is a tuberculated gibbosity also on the 4th pair of legs. The buccal tube is very narrow (external diameter 1.5-2 µm) with very evident apophyses; the pharynx, circular or slightly oval, measures for example 28 x 28 µm in an individual 315 µm long, 24 x 24 in a 288 µm individual, and 24 x 21 µm in an individual of 246 µm; it contains two square macroplacoids, of which the first is somewhat larger than the first is somewhat larger than the second; there is no microplacoid. The rows of the macroplacoids are short and do not surpass more than the middle of the pharynx. The doubleclaws resemble those of H. oberhaeuseri [now R. oberhaeuseri]: the principal branch of the external doubleclaw is slender and long (17 µm on the 4th pair of legs of a tardigrade of 246 µm) with very small accessory points, visible with difficulty and set back with respect to the end of the claw; the internal doubleclaw is very robust and has distinct accessory points on its principal branch. R. baumanni, especially at low magnification, resembles R. oberhaeuseri, but is different in the sculpture characteristics, in the prominent bands, by the more or less distinct gibbosity, and by the lack of colorless longitudinal bands. Deposited eggs have not been observed and therefore it has not been established if they are free, or else contained in the exuvia; three eggs, visible in the ovary of a female, exhibited small projecting ornamentation, whose shape was not however very distinguishable. The species was collected in moss and lichen on the trunk of Aextoxicum punctatum in two different localities at Fray Jorge (Chile, altitude of about 620 m).
-Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
Body Length:
Length 240-315 microns.
Key Characters:
The genus Ramazzottius is easily recognized by hypsibius-type claws, but with a very long thin primary branch of the external/posterior claws on each leg. Ramazzottius baumanni is separable from R. oberhaeuseri by its prominant pigmented (maroon) distinct granules more or less evenly spaced over the body and legs, lacking longitudinal colorless bands. Length of first macroplacoid slightly > 2nd.
Key Character Images
Drawing from Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
claw drawing Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983
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:
Tree lichen. Also soil and tree moss.
Abundance:
Rare. This species makes up 0.46% of terrestrial specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bartels' inventory.
Diet:
Herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Ornamented eggs deposited externally or rarely in exuvium.
Observation Methods:
DIC and PC.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Ramazzottius baumanni
- No common name
Photos: 8
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Buccal apparatus, lateral, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Claw I, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Claw I, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Claw IV, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Claw IV, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Habitus, lateral, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Dorsal cuticle, PC
Recorded by: Miller on 2021-11-26
Durham Co.
Comment: Habitus, lateral, PC