Eutardigrada from New Zealand, with descriptions of two new species

Abstract

We review some species of Macrobiot‐idae of New Zealand, and describe two new species: Macrobiotus hapukuensis sp. n. and Macrobiotus semmelweisi sp. n. Macrobiotus hapukuensis sp. n. belongs to the richtersi group; it differs from the other species of the group in some characters of the eggs, and from some of them in lacking eyes and dots on the legs or in the shape of the claws. Macrobiotus semmelweisi sp. n. has bands of gibbosities, each with a round or elliptical pore; two macroplacoids and a microplacoid; dorsal transversal ridges of the buccal armature joined to one another and forming a unique thin transversal ridge; eggs with slender conical processes with a long, thin, flexible, terminal portion; egg shell clearly dotted. © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006.