Macrobiotus harmsworthi Murray 1907

Guil, Noemí, 2008, New records and within-species variability of Iberian tardigrades (Tardigrada), with comments on the species from the Echiniscus blumi-canadensis series, Zootaxa 1757, pp. 1-30 : 20

Macrobiotus harmsworthi Murray 1907

This species is differentiated from Macrobiotus richtersi by having a larger microplacoid which is located a shorter distance from the third macroplacoid. The anterior band of teeth of the buccal armature (several rows of small teeth at the anterior band, one row of teeth at the posterior band, and a transversal crest system) was weak in the majority of the specimens examined (90%), and was often not visible. Two types of lunule margins were observed on the double-claws at the fourth pair of legs: irregular (only two specimens, possibly old ones, accordingly to Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983) or smooth (49 specimens). Two eggs were studied with conic-shaped structures, and reticulated egg surface. Ocular spots were observed in 4% of specimens, 90% had no ocular spots (in 6% it was not possible to determine their presence or absence). Mean body size was 589 μm (SD 124), range 330 to 880 μm. This species is considered cosmopolitan ( McInnes 1994). In the Iberian Peninsula, it has been recorded for Spain ( Rodríguez Roda 1951, 1952; Mihelčič 1954; Maucci & Durante Pasa 1984), Andorra ( Maucci & Durante Pasa 1984) and Portugal ( Fontoura 1981; Maucci & Durante Pasa 1984, 1985). Macrobiotus harmsworthi was found at 11 sampling points (Table 3) in MR and LF samples.