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Issue: Vol. 5661 No. 2: 15 Jul. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-07-15
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5661.2.3
Page range: 201-220
Abstract views: 54
PDF downloaded: 2

A new species in the genus Milnesium (Eutardigrada) from USA (North Carolina)

Department of Biology; Warren Wilson College; Asheville; USA
Department of Biology; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill; NC 27599; USA; Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań; Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6; 61-614 Poznań; Poland
Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań; Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6; 61-614 Poznań; Poland
Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics; Faculty of Biology; University of Gdańsk; Wita Stwosza 59; 80-308 Gdańsk; Poland
Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań; Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6; 61-614 Poznań; Poland
Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań; Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6; 61-614 Poznań; Poland
Tardigrada apochela Milnesiidae North america tardigrada taxonomy water bears

Abstract

During recent research on autofluorescence in tardigrades a new species of Milnesium was discovered on the campus of Warren Wilson College (North Carolina, USA). We provide an integrative description of this new species based on morphology and genetics (COI, 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA sequences). The new species has six peribuccal lamellae, a smooth cuticle (but with pseudopores) and [3-3]-[3-3] claw configuration. This is a very common cluster of characters in the genus, and we provide a differential diagnosis for 24 similar species from which the new species differs by some morphological and morphometrical characters in addition to genetic differences.

 

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How to Cite

Bartels, P.J., Kayastha, P., Bartylak, T., Mioduchowska, M., Dmuchowska, W. & Kaczmarek, Łukasz (2025) A new species in the genus Milnesium (Eutardigrada) from USA (North Carolina). Zootaxa, 5661 (2), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5661.2.3