taxonID	type	description	language	source
039887A5151BAE70FF2A93D7F4BD754D.taxon	description	Species: Echiniscus quasiporus sp. nov. (Table 3; Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) ZooBank registration: https: // zoobank. org / 4 F 7 CFD 71 - CCE 6 - 46 FC-BC 50 - 019 F 4 E 13 AAF 1 Type locality: 10 ° 08 ′ 23 ″ N, 77 ° 05 ′ 53 ″ E, 1 915 m asl: Asia, India, Western Ghats, Kannan Devan Hills, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris, Ooty; moss on soil (see also Table 1). Females: Barrel-shaped body. Yellow to dark orange body colour with red granulate eyes when alive (Fig. 1 A). The pigment dissolves in a few days in Hoyer’s medium and animals become colourless and transparent (Fig. 1 B). Primary and secondary clavae of a typical Echiniscus - type. Peribuccal cirri embedded in bulbous cirrophores (Fig. 1 B – C). Cirrus A short (cirrus A / body length ratio <20 %) and with an evident, conical cirrophore (Figs. 1 B – C and 2 A). Body appendage configuration A- (B) - (B) d - C-C d - D-D d - E (Fig. 1 B – C). Asymmetries frequent, and rarely, some appendages absent. Dorsal plate sculpture (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) superficially similar to the Echiniscus blumi-canadensis type. However, an SEM examination of dorsal plate sections (Fig. 4) revealed that in contrast to the blumi-canadensis sculpturing, the new species does not exhibit true pores (i. e. holes in the exocuticle that penetrate down to the surface of endocuticle and connect the environment with the mesocuticular cavity network, i. e. spaces between mesocuticular pillars), but deep cavities in exocuticle which are indistinguishable from pores under LCM and regular SEM observations of cuticle surface, but which do not connect the environment with the mesocuticular cavity network. To account for this new type of cuticular sculpturing, we name these epicuticular cavities as quasipores (see section Types of cuticular puncturing in Echiniscidae below for more details). When focusing down from the cuticle surface to mesocuticle in PCM (Fig. 3 A – G), quasipores appear as bright spots (indistinguishable from true pores) connected with faint dark striae (Fig. 3 A). Then, striae disappear and a polygonal dark rim around each quasipore becomes prominent (Fig. 3 B – C). The polygonal rims are separated with a brighter strip (Fig. 3 C). Focusing further down, dark rims separate into a polygonal outline composed of multiple dark spots (Fig. 3 D – E). Finally, these dark spots disappear, and the rim of the quasipores becomes fainter, but in a centre of each quasipores, a conspicuous dark dot appears (Fig. 3 F – G). In NCM (Fig. 3 H – N), the sculpture appears similar as in PCM, except the striae are not detectable (Fig. 3 H) and dark polygonal rims are visible as a polygonal network (Fig. 4 I – J). In SEM (Fig. 4 A), cuticle surface is smooth (no epicuticular granulation or other sculpturing), with regularly distributed roundish-polygonal holes of varying size and with sharp edges (indistinguishable from true pores). Based on SEM observations of dorsal plate sections (Fig. 4), we interpret the dark polygonal rims and their bright outlines (Fig. 3 B – C) as areas of more and less cuticular matrix, respectively. Furthermore, multiple dark dots forming the dark rims (Fig. 3 D – E) are probably areas of denser cuticular microfilaments / microfibers which form the cuticular matrix (Fig. 4 B – C). Finally, the dark dot in the centre of a quasipore (Fig. 3 F – G) is a large mesocuticular pillar situated under the quasipore. Roundish-polygonal quasipores are larger in the centres of the plates and gradually decrease in diameter towards plate edges and become large dark dots which are mesocuticular pillars without a quasipore above and hence are visible only in PCM (Fig. 2) and in SEM cross-sections (Fig. 4 D). Cephalic plate consists of two halves with an anterior chalice-like incision. The cervical plate appears as a belt with mesocuticular pillars clearly visible as dark dots only in PCM (Fig. 2 A) and rarely with minute quasipores visible only in SEM in some specimens (Figs. 1 C and 2 B). Scapular plate non-facetted with the hinged rectangular lateral shoulder platelets (Figs. 1 C and 2 A – B). Three median plates; m 1 and m 3 unipartite, plate m 2 bipartite (Figs. 1 C and 2 C – F); sculpture well developed with larger quasipores in the m 1 and in the posterior portion of the m 2. Sculpture is reduced with smaller quasipores and less prominent darker polygonal rim on the anterior portions plate. E – F Caudal plate. The flat arrowhead indicates the large quasiporus, whereas the indented arrowhead indicates mesocuticular pillars not terminated with quasipores. Scale bars: in μm of the m 2 and the m 3 (Fig. 2 C – F). The view of the third median plate sometimes reduced to a narrow strip due to the overlapping of the posterior part of the second pair of paired segmental plates and the anterior part of the caudal plate. Two pairs of large segmental plates, with their narrower anterior portions having two thin belts (or only one belt arrowhead with white borders indicates a dark polygonal rim around a quasipore, the white flat arrowhead with black borders indicates the dark dots of polygonal rims (probably represented by denser cuticular filaments / fibres), and white indented arrowheads with black borders indicates the large mesocuticular pillars under the quasipores. Scale bars: in μm (all photographs are at the same scale) in some specimens) devoid of sculpture (Figs. 1 B – C and 2 C – D). The caudal (terminal) plate with evident incisions (Figs. 1 B – C and 2 E – F) and often facetted (Figs. 1 B – C and 2 E – F). Ventral plates present, not always well visible under PCM especially in well-stretched specimens but clearly visible under the SEM (Fig. 5 C). Subcephalic and genital plates are more developed than other plates (Fig. 5 C). Ventral cuticle densely granulated with minute mesocuticular pillars, very well visible in the subcephalic and gonopore region (Fig. 5 C). Pulvini present on legs I – III (Figs. 1 B – C and 5 A – B). Legs I with a minute spine (Figs. 1 B – C and 5 A – B), legs IV with a small papilla, both clearly visible in PCM and SEM (Figs. 1 B – C and 5 A – B). Pedal plates I – III C Cross section of quasipores (lateral view). D Cross section of dorsal cuticle without quasipores. White flat arrowheads with black borders indicate mesocuticular pillars. Scale bars: in μm very weakly outlined and without pores (barely visible in PCM, better in SEM), but well developed with pores and a fringe composed of 8 – 12 large teeth on legs IV (Fig. 5 A – B). Claws isometric, with spurs present on the internal claws of all legs (spur / claw branch length ratio at 20 – 31 %) (Fig. 5).	en	Dey, Pritam K., Ostoja-Wilamowski, Andrzej, Michalczyk, Łukasz (2025): Echiniscus quasiporus sp. nov. reveals a new type of cuticular plate puncturing in Echiniscoidea (Heterotardigrada). Organisms Diversity & Evolution 25 (1): 203-221, DOI: 10.1007/s13127-024-00669-4, URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-024-00669-4
