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
4 NC Records
Ramazzottius belubellus
Bartels, Nelson, Kaczmarek & Michalczyk, 2011 - No Common Name
Dorsal, DIC
Ventral, DIC
Taxonomy
Class:
Eutardigrada
Order:
Parachela
Family:
Ramazzottiidae
Checklist Number:
1500.0
Taxonomic Comments:
A new species discovered in GSMNP. At present (October 2023), samples are being analyzed in Lukasz Michalczyk's lab to search for additional material.
Species Notes:
Terrestrial. This is one of the most remarkable and beautiful eutardigrades ever described. The species epithet translates to "beautiful beast". Only 4 specimens from 1 sample have ever been found despite numerous attempts to find more. Known only from GSMNP.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
Adult body color unknown due to mounting in polyvinyl alcohol (Figs 1-2). Dorsal cuticle with very evident sharp triangular, bulbous spines (very wide at the base: basal width = 2.0-6.0 mm on the dorsal side of the body and about 1.0 mm on the legs, spine height = 1.5-4.0 mm in all measured specimens), clearly larger on the posterior part of the body (Figs 3-4). Spines not arranged in bands but covering the entire dorsum. Fine granulation absent on legs but small tubercles (about 1.0 mm high) present on the external parts of all legs (Fig. 5). Ventral side of the body and internal parts of all legs smooth. Eyes absent. Two elliptical organs on the posterior dorso-lateral sides of head not visible with PCM (but possibly present as in all members of genus Ramazzottius). Mouth opening antero-ventral. Buccal-pharyngeal apparatus of the Ramazzottius type (Fig. 6), with blunt-hook shaped apophyses for insertion of the stylet muscles, asymmetrical in size and shape with respect to the frontal plane. Oral cavity armature absent or not visible with PCM. Buccal tube with one bend in posterior part of tube (visible only in lateral view, Fig. 2). Pharyngeal bulb slightly oval with apophyses and two macroplacoids (Fig. 6). Microplacoid and septulum absent. Pharyngeal apophyses very large (almost as large as macroplacoids) and triangular in shape. Macroplacoids slightly oval, without constrictions, both equal in length or the first macroplacoid slightly longer than the second. Claws of the Ramazzottius type (Fig. 7). Primary branches of external claws long and thin, not connected with the secondary branches. Accessory points present on primary branches of all external and internal claws. Lunules and other cuticular thickenings on legs absent. Eggs unknown.
-Bartels et al. 2011
Body Length:
129-225 microns.
Key Characters:
See R. baumanni for genus characteristics. This species is readily recognizable by the sharp triangular, bulbous spines covering the entire dorsolateral surface.
Key Character Images
Dorsal surface, DIC
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:
Licchens on trees.
Abundance:
Very rare. This species makes up 0.03% of terrestrial specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bartels' inventory.
Diet:
Herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Eggs have not been found, but likely to be ornamented and deposted externally.
Observation Methods:
DIC and PC.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Ramazzottius belubellus
- No common name
Photos: 8
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Ventral, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Ventral, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Focus merged, ventral-midline, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Posterior dorsum, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2001-09-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Head showing buccal apparatus and claws, DIC