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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Macrobiotidae Members:
Macrobiotus hibiscus
Macrobiotus hufelandi
Macrobiotus margoae
Macrobiotus martini
Macrobiotus nelsonae
Mesobiotus harmsworthi
Mesobiotus n. species
Minibiotus intermedius
Minibiotus jonesorum
Minibiotus lazzaroi
Paramacrobiotus aff. areolatus
Paramacrobiotus aff. richtersi
Paramacrobiotus halei
Paramacrobiotus tonollii
818 NC Records
Minibiotus intermedius
(Plate, 1888) - No Common Name
lateral, DIC
Taxonomy
Class:
Eutardigrada
Order:
Parachela
Family:
Macrobiotidae
Checklist Number:
1850.0
Synonym:
Minibiotus intermedius sensu lato, Minibiotus intermedius group (Bartels et al. 2021)
Taxonomic Comments:
This species was integratively redescribed and the neotype was designated by Kaczmarek et al. 2022.
Species Notes:
Terrestrial. Apparently cosmopolitan, widely reported in US, but likely pseudocryptic complex means many older records are doubtful. The identification for the smokies records was verified by the queen of Minibiotus, the late Sandra Claxton.
Identification
Online resources:
Online Photographs:
Google
,
GBIF
Species Description:
The body cuticle was smooth without pores and granulation, but very poorly visible granulation on the IV pair of legs was present. Large eye spots were also present. The buccal tube with an anterior and a posterior bend and slightly thicker below the stylet insertion point. The pharyngeal bulb had apophyses, three granular macroplacoids, and a small microplacoid (length sequence 2 ≤ 3 < 1). Eggs with processes (28–32 around the circumference) in the shape of a screw’s head were covered by a separate membrane.
-Kaczmarek et al. 2022
Body Length:
149-245 microns.
Key Characters:
Three granular macroplacoids (length 2 ≤ 3 < 1), and egg morphology.
Key Character Images
egg, DIC
Buccal apparatus, 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:
Tree moss. Less commonly in soil, and rarely in othe terrestrial habitats.
Abundance:
Abundant in Nelson's Roan Mt. inventory. Very abundant in Bartels' Smokies inventory, this species makes up 12.07% of terrestrial specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Diet:
Unknown, probably herbivorous.
Reproduction:
Ornamented eggs deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods:
DIC, PC.
Wikipedia
Photo Gallery for
Minibiotus intermedius
- No common name
Photos: 9
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: lateral, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Eggs, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Egg, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Habitus, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Anterior, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Claws IV, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Anterior, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Buccal apparatus, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2003-07-15
Haywood Co.
Comment: Claws, DIC