Integrative Descriptions of Two New Tardigrade Species along with the New Record of Mesobiotus skorackii Kaczmarek et al., 2018 from Canada

Pushpalata Kayastha,Monika Mioduchowska,Magdalena Gawlak,Łukasz Kaczmarek,Milena Roszkowska

doi:10.3390/d13080394

Pushpalata Kayastha, Monika Mioduchowska + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/d13080394

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Abstract

Two new tardigrade species from a moss sample collected in Canada, one representing Macrobiotus hufelandi complex and the second one belonging to the genus Bryodelphax, are described. Integrative analysis was undertaken based on morphological and morphometric data (using both light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) combined with multilocus molecular analysis (nuclear sequences, i.e., 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and ITS-2 as well as mitochondrial COI barcode sequences). Based on COI sequences, Macrobiotus birendrai sp. nov. is most similar to Mac. canaricus (p-distance 17%), whereas Bryodelphax mareki sp. nov. is most similar to Bry. parvulus (p-distance 16%). Both species differ also from their congeners in some morphological and morphometric characters of adults and/or details of egg chorion. Additionally, a large population of Mesobiotus skorackii was found in the sample and this is the first report of this species outside its terra typica in Kirghizia. The original description of this species was prepared based solely on the morphology and morphometry, therefore, here we provide updated data for this species enclosing morphometric and molecular data for the Canadian population.

Highlights

Canada is the second largest country in the world which extends its longitude from approximately 52◦ to 141◦ W to latitude approximately 42◦ to 83◦ N
The 44 animals and 8 eggs were prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis according to the protocol in Roszkowska et al [17] and examined under high vacuum in Hitachi S3000N SEM
The highest number of tardigrade species were recorded from Nunavut (70) and the lowest Manitoba

Summary

Introduction

Canada is the second largest country in the world which extends its longitude from approximately 52◦ to 141◦ W to latitude approximately 42◦ to 83◦ N. It has such a distance that spans in six time zones and has a wide variety of climates. People living in two-thirds of the area experience very cold winters and short, cool summers. The interior plains of central southern area come with very cold winters, hot summers, and relatively sparse precipitation. Climate with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters prevails in Southern Ontario and Quebec. Except for the west coast, all of Canada has a winter season with average temperatures below freezing and with continuous snow cover (https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada (accessed on 18 June 2021)

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