Macrobiotus mauccii Pilato, 1974

Beasley, Clark W. & Miller, William R., 2012, Additional Tardigrada from Hubei Province, China, with the description of Doryphoribius barbarae sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Parachela: Hypsibiidae), Zootaxa 3170, pp. 55-63 : 62

Macrobiotus mauccii Pilato, 1974

FIGURES 3 A–B

Material examined. Four moss samples from Site 3 contained 12 adults and 28 eggs.

Remarks. Originally described from Guangdong Province ( Pilato, 1974), the only Chinese record since was for Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region ( Beasley and Miller, 2007).

In the description of this species, Pilato (1974) described and illustrated unsculptured circular spots on the processes of the egg ( Fig. 3 A). These were very evident in the Hubei eggs, varying from one to four per process. Viewed in optical section ( Fig. 3 B), it appeared that these were actually openings into the interior of the process. It is hypothesized that these pores allow air to be trapped in the processes, giving the egg buoyancy. Michalczyk (pers. comm.) suggested the openings might also result in better oxygen supply for the egg. The Hubei specimens had six to ten processes around the circumference of the egg (eight in the original species description), 13–18 in a hemisphere. Egg diameter including processes 115.0–122.5 µm (average 118.4 µm), excluding processes 63.8– 91.3 µm (average 76.1 µm); the species description reported 90–100 µm including the processes, 60–70 µm excluding the processes.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Macrobiotus mauccii. A, egg with pores visible in some processes; B, optical section of a pore in an egg process. Scale lines 20 µm.