Tardigrades of North Carolina
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View PDFEchiniscidae Members: 83 NC Records

Pseudechiniscus (Pseudechiniscus) brevimontanus Kendall-Fite & Nelson, 1996 - No Common Name


Dorsal, PC
Ventral, PC
Taxonomy
Class: HeterotardigradaOrder: Echiniscoidea Family: Echiniscidae Checklist Number: 2080.0 Synonym: Pseudechiniscus brevimontanus
Taxonomic Comments: Morphologically indistinguishable from species first described in Tennessee. No molecular evidence for further comparison.
Species Notes: Terrestrial. Range from N. to S. America. Reported from various states in S.E. USA.
Identification
Online resources:Online Photographs: Google, GBIF                                                                                 
Species Description: Holotype, female. Body length 165 µm. Eyespots present. Cephalic plate faceted. Fine cuticular granulation on cephalic and scapular plates; larger, heavy granulation on margins of segmental plates II and III and pseudosegmental plates, with central horizontal band of less prominent granulation. Median plates 1 and 2 divided; medium plate 3 undivided. Coarse granulation on median plates uniform. Ventral cuticular granulation present with a dense patch between legs II and between legs III; a mottled appearance on the rest of the ventral surface. Cirri A short, 31.0 µm; adjacent clavae well-formed, 4.5 µm; external (18.0 µm) and internal (15.0 µm) buccal cirri present and prominent. Cephalic papillae dome-shaped, 4.0 µm. Two triangular projections extending 6.5 µm from caudal margin of pseudosegmental plate. Four single claws per leg; internal claws with thin, downward-curved ventral spurs. No dorsal leg spines; small, blunt papillae on legs IV. Collected from dried moss and lichen on fallen tree at site 2 on Short Mountain on 29 December 1990.
-Kendall-Fite & Nelson 1996
Body Length: 108-165 microns.
Key Characters: Pseudosegment with two triangular projections, ventral and dorsal sculpture pattern.
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: Tree moss and lichen, rock lichen, and rarely soil.
Abundance: Common. This species makes up 2.28% of terrestrial specimens collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bartels' smokies inventory.
Diet: Herbivorous.
Reproduction: Smooth eggs deposited in exuvium.
Observation Methods: PC and DIC.
Wikipedia

 Photo Gallery for Pseudechiniscus (Pseudechiniscus) brevimontanus - No common name

Photos: 8

Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Habitus, PC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal, PC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Ventral, PC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Claw IV, PC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Head, dorsal, PC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Head, dorsal, DIC
Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: Dorsal, posterior, DIC		Recorded by: Bartels on 2002-11-23
Haywood Co.
Comment: