Rediscovering the diversity of Brazilian limno-terrestrial tardigrades: new species collected in the trees of the University of Campinas, SP, Brazil

Abstract

Due to the small size and the fragility of their bodies, that require specific handling and laboratory instruments, tardigrades have been little studied in terms of its taxonomy. In Brazil the limno-terrestrial tardigrades were not studied since the pioneers studies in the decades of 1940 and 1950. The present study aims to describe a new species of the genus Milnesium collected from Brazil using modern morphological techniques. This tardigrade is characterized by cuticle smooth, short cuticular bars under the claws IV, claw configuration [3-3][3-3] with internal and anterior spurs larger than external and posterior spurs, and dorsal pseudoplates.