Mopsechiniscus granulosus Mihelčič, 1967

Kaczmarek, Łukasz, Michalczyk, Łukasz & Mcinnes, Sandra J., 2015, Annotated zoogeography of non-marine Tardigrada. Part II: South America, Zootaxa 3923 (1), pp. 1-107 : 24-25

54. Mopsechiniscus granulosus Mihelčič, 1967 [T] [m]

Mopsechiniscus imberbis ( Richters, 1907) ( Ramazzotti 1962a , Claps & Rossi 1981, Rossi & Claps 1989) Mopsechiniscus imberbis ( Ramazzotti 1964b , Binda & Kristensen 1986)

Mopsechiniscus granulosus n. sp. ( Mihelčič, 1967)

Mopsechiniscus granulosus Mihelcic, 1967 ( Rossi et al. 2009)

Terra typica: Argentina (South America)

Argentina:

• 39°25′S, 71°17′W; 1,000 m asl: Neuquén Province, Aluminé, Quillén Lake, lichen on tree. Rossi et al. (2009)

• 41°01′S, 71°49′W; 770 m asl: Rio Negro Province, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Nahuel Huapi Lake, W shore, Puerto Blest (a pass) near San Carlos de Bariloche, hydrophilous moss on a fallen tree trunk. Dastych (2000)

• 41°10′S, 71°53′W; 700–900 m asl: Rio Negro Province, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Mount Tronador; lichens on rock (2 samples). Claps & Rossi 1981

• 41°10′S, 71°53′W; 3,000 m asl: Neotype Locality: Rio Negro Province, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Tronador Mt., mosses and lichens form tree ( Nothofagus pumilio ), lichens on tree and mosses and lichens form tree (5 samples). Rossi & Claps (1989)

• 41°12′S, 71°50′W; 1,000 m asl: Type Locality: Rio Negro Province, Tronador (Ventisqueros) [Ventisquero Negro del Cerro Tronador], lichens on dry rocks in full sun, on single, trees in full sun and on moist rocks below the glacier (3 samples). Mihelčič (1967)

• 41°14′S, 71°46′W; 800 m asl [850m asl]: Type Locality: Rio Negro Province, Pampalinda [Pampa Linda] near Cainquenes stream, lichens on dry trees in full sun. Mihelčič (1967)

• 41°58′S, 71°31′W; 390 m asl: Type Locality: Rio Negro Province, Bolson [El Bolsón], cypress grove, lichens on sunny and dry trees and on dry rocks, mosses on dry singles trees exposed to full sun and wind and on dry rocks in full sun (4 samples). Mihelčič (1967)

• 42°37′S, 71°53′W; 550 m asl: Chubut Province, Puerto El Sagrario near Menédez Lake, temperate rainforest, moss on branches of Nothofagus and Myrtacea. Binda & Kristensen (1986)

• Undefined localities cited according Mihelčič (1967), mosses and lichens on trees and rocks (3 samples). Mihelčič (1972)

Chile:

• 30°25′S – 37°45′S [37 ° 43′S, 73 ° 02′W], 1,100 m asl: Undefined locality in Region IX Araucania (Región de la Araucanía), Cordillera Nahuelbuta on south from Concepción, cloud forest ( Nothofagus , Araucaria etc.), lichens. Ramazzotti (1962a)

• 37°48′S, 72°43′W; 100 m asl: Region IX Araucania, Angol. Jørgensen et al. (2011)

• 39°23′S, 71°58′W; 1,400 m asl: Region IX Araucania (Región de la Araucanía), Temuco District, Villarrica National Park near Pucón, upper level of Nothofagus forest on the slopes of the Villarica Volcano, mosses and lichens on Nothofagus trunk. Dastych (2000)

• 40°44′S, 72°19′W; 460 m asl: Region X Los Lagos (Región de Los Lagos), Osorno Province, Puyehue National Park, Aguas Calientes, near the border with Argentina, moss on tree (branches of Myrtus planipes ). ( Kristensen (1987), corrected by Dastych (2000)

• 42°37′S, 73°49′W; 50–100 m asl: Region X Los Lagos (Región de Los Lagos), Chiloé Island, mosses (2 samples). Ramazzotti (1964b)

Record numbers: Argentina: 9, Chile: 5; total: 14.

Remarks: This genus and the species M. granulosus has been re-described by Dastych (2000, 2001). Mopsechiniscus granulosus is known from many localities in Argentina and Chile (for more details see Dastych (2000, 2001)). Dastych (1999a, b, 2000) intimated that there was a possibility of two new species (from Brazil and Chile respectively), but insufficient data prevented taxonomic identification.