Two new species of the genus Milnesium Doyere, 1840 (Tardigrada, Apochela, Milnesiidae) from Madagascar.

ABSTRACT: The knowledge of the diversity and distribution of tardigrades on Madagascar is rather poor. To date, only 13 tardigrade taxa have been reported from this region (including one Milnesium species). We examined 46 specimens belonging to two new-to-science species of the genus Milnesium described herein using an integrative approach, including classical morphology and molecular marker (COI, ITS-2 and 28S rRNA) analysis. The species were found in two moss and lichen samples collected in the Ivohibory forest in Fianarantsoa Province. Milnesium matheusi sp. nov., with claw configuration [3-3]-[3-3] and rather wide buccal tube, morphologically is most similar to: Mil. beatae Roszkowska, Ostrowska & Kaczmarek, 2015, Mil. bohleberi Bartels, Nelson, Kaczmare

SUBMITTER: Kaczmarek L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6834724 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature