Pseudechiniscus suillus ( Ehrenberg, 1853 )

Fontoura, Paulo, Pilato, Giovanni & Lisi, Oscar, 2008, Echiniscidae (Tardigrada, Heterotardigrada) from Faial and Pico Islands, the Azores, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 1693, pp. 49-61 : 59

Pseudechiniscus suillus ( Ehrenberg, 1853)

A total of 90 specimens and one exuviae with three eggs have been examined: 30 specimens from Lages do Pico and 48 specimens from Terras do Pico in Pico Island, and 12 specimens (10 adults and 2 larvae) and the exuviae from Parque Florestal, Faial Island. The great majority of the specimens were mounted in Hoyer’s medium, only a few specimens were mounted in polyvinyl lactophenol. In all the three cases studied the populations were bisexual. The body length was comprised between 120 and 228 µm for the adults (34 randomly selected specimens of both sexes) and 100–106 µm for the larvae. The diameter of the eggs was about 47 to 49 µm.

The species, already recorded in the Azores ( Fontoura, 1985), is cosmopolitan.