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Some Swedish tardigrades found in moss
Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
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Hypsibius convergens belongs to the family Hypsibiidae. The species is very common in moss and is found in various places in Sweden (Gästrikland, Sollentuna, Stockholm, nothern Småland and Gotland). The species has probably a comsmopolitic distribution. |
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Mesocrista spitsbergense belongs to the family Hypsibiidae. It has a circumpolar distribution on the north part of the globe. In Sweden it has been recorded from Lappland, Gästrikland, Stockholm and Småland. It is quite common in the litter layer in a pine-forest (Ivantjärnsheden) in the province of Gästrikland. |
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Diphascon oculatum belongs to the family Hypsibiidae. This species has been found in small tufts of moss on rocks in Sollentuna and Småland. It has only been found in a few places in Europ and in samples from mountain areas in North America. |
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Macrobiotus areolatus belongs to the family Macrobiotidae. Species belonging to Macrobiotus are very common all around the world. In Sweden M. areolatus has been found in samples from Gotland. The speciemen on the picture has a number of uterine eggs. |
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Milnesium tardigradum belongs to the family Milnesiidae. The species is found all around the world including continental Antarctica. In Sweden it has been found in Stockholm, Stockholm archipilago and in Öland. |
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Echiniscus belongs to the order Heterotardigrada.These have sclerotized plates on the back, which is one reosans to include them among Arthropoda. Specimens belonging to Heterotardigrada are not often found in Swedish moss samples. |
Text och photo: Björn Sohlenius, Department of Inevertebrate Zoology, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet
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