Mesobiotus harmsworthi Kaczmarek 2017
- Dataset
- Annotated zoogeography of non-marine Tardigrada. Part IV: Africa
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Kaczmarek, Łukasz (2017): Annotated zoogeography of non-marine Tardigrada. Part IV: Africa. Zootaxa 4284 (1): 1-74, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4284.1.1
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Tardigrada
- class
- Eutardigrada
- order
- Parachela
- family
- Macrobiotidae
- genus
- Mesobiotus
- species
- Mesobiotus harmsworthi
description
MacRobiotus haRmswoRthi Murray (Pardi 1941) MacRobiotus haRmsvoRthi (Ramløv & Kristensen 1985) Terra typica: Franz Joseph Land (Russia, Barents Sea) Algeria: • 36 ° 53 ′ N, 07 ° 39 ′ E; 800 m asl: Annaba Province, Massif of Eldough [Edough Mountains]. Binda & Pilato (1987) • 36 ° 40 ′ N, 04 ° 36 ′ E; 1,400 m asl: Tizi Ouzou Province, Akfadou Forest. Binda & Pilato (1987) • 36 ° 38 ′ N, 05 ° 45 ′ E; 1,200 m asl: Jijel Province, M’Sid-Ech-Cheta (Texenna Pass). Binda & Pilato (1987) • 36 ° 28 ′ N, 04 ° 14 ′ E; 1,700 m asl: Tizi Ouzou Province, Massif of Djurdjura (Assouille depression). Binda & Pilato (1987) Ethiopia: • 04 ° 03 ′ N, 38 ° 19 ′ E; 1,700 m asl: Oromia Region, Mēga, former English residence, moss (PleuRochaete sp.) on tree (JunipeRus pRoceRa). Pardi (1941) Libya: • 32 ° 29 ′ N, 20 ° 50 ′ E; 350 m asl: Marj District, Barce [Marj], moss. Pilato & Pennisi (1976) Morocco: • 32 ° 25 ′ N, 05 ° 13 ′ W; 1,750 m asl: Meknès-Tafilalet Region, S of Azrou, cedar forest, moss on limestone boulders in the forest glade. Ramløv & Kristensen (1985) Republic of South Africa: • 29 ° 44 ′ S, 22 ° 44 ′ E: Undefined locality, Cape Colony [Cape Province]. Murray (1907 a), Marcus (1928) Uganda: • 01 ° 22 ′ N, 32 ° 17 ′ E: Undefined locality. Murray (1913) Record numbers. Algeria: 4, Ethiopia: 1, Libya: 1, Morocco: 1, Republic of South Africa: 1, Uganda: 1; total: 9.
discussion
Remarks. While Mesobiotus harmsworthi sensu lato has a cosmopolitan distribution (McInnes 1994), we think the presence of M. harmsworthi sensu stricto in Africa is questionable. Originally described from Zemlya Frantsa- Iosifa in Arctic Russia (Murray 1907 c), M. harmsworthi is now considered a species group, with a number of very similar species (all requiring careful taxonomic analysis of adults and egg morphology — see Kaczmarek et al. 2011 for diagnostic key). This is particularly emphasised by the presence of taxa reported from Africa (e. g. M. diffusus, M. nuragicus, etc.).