The first record of Macrobiotus vladimiri Bertolani, Biserov, Rebecchi & Cesari, 2011 (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae: Hufelandi group) from Poland

Abstract

Tardigrade studies in Poland have been carried out for more than a century and to date, 102 species have been reported from this central European country. This constitutes nearly 9% of all known species within the phylum. Although previous studies have been thorough, a number of taxa now known to belong to species complexes have been treated in only a very general way. One such complex is the Macrobiotus hufelandi group, which has a worldwide distribution. To date, only three hufelandi group species have been recorded from Poland: M. hufelandi hufelandi C.A.S. Schultze, 1834; M. macrocalix Bertolani & Rebecchi, 1993; and M. polonicus Pilato, Kaczmarek, Michalczyk & Lisi, 2003. Here we first report M. vladimiri Bertolani, Biserov, Rebecchi & Cesari, 2011 from Poland. Moreover, we provide new morphometric data for the type series of the species.