Echiniscus bisetosus Heinis 1908

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 : 7

Echiniscus bisetosus Heinis 1908

Specimens with the two morphotypes described for Echiniscus bisetosus ( Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983) were identified, among eleven specimens isolated: type C ( Table 4 ), representing 82% of specimens, and type D ( Table 4 ), representing 18%. Both types of Echiniscus bisetosus showed asymmetries. Morphotypes C and D were not mixed within the same sample. Differences were noted in the size of the cuticle sculpture pattern (i.e., blumi type (Ramazzotti & Maucci 1983)). Body size ranged from 308 to 704 μm, mean 457 μm (SD 113). The species has been cited for Europe, Asia, America and Africa. In the Iberian Peninsula, it has been recorded for Portugal ( Maucci & Durante Pasa 1984, 1985), but this is the first record for Spain ( Table 2 ). Echiniscus bisetosus was found at eight sampling points (Table 3), but always in MR samples.