Macrobiotus noemiae sp. nov., a new tardigrade species (Macrobiotidae: hufelandi group) from Spain

Abstract

A reexamination of the tardigrade collection from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN) in Madrid wascarried out. Specimens from the genera Milnesium, Macrobiotus, and Paramacrobiotus were verified in order to provide their correctidentification and 15 taxa were identified. Moreover, a list of corrected species identifications from MNCN is provided. Fourteenspecimens and 16 eggs, identified previously as Macrobiotus recens, were attributed to a species new for science. Macrobiotus noemiaesp. nov. is most similar to Mac. naskreckii and Mac. recens but it differs from them by details of egg morphology, mainly by the presenceof thin flexible filaments on the tops of egg processes.