NECOPINATIDAE Ramazzotti & Maucci, 1983

Pilato (1971a), when originally describing the genus Necopinatum, considered it incertae sedis but Ramazzotti and Maucci (1983) instituted for it the family Necopinatidae . Currently the genus Apodibius is also ascribed to this family. In our opinion the family is allied with the family Calohypsibiidae and it may be defined as follows: eutardigrades without cephalic papillae; legs short and bilobate; claws absent or in the form of small forceps (Fig. 26 A). Bucco-pharyngeal apparatus with rigid buccal tube with or without ventral lamina. When peribuccal structures are present, the sagittal plane passes between those structures. (Fig. 26 C).