Tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains, central China with descriptions of two new species of Echiniscidae (Tardigrada)

A checklist of 63 species of tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains is given in this paper. Thirty‐seven species of tardigrades that had never been found in the Tsinling Mountains were reported here. Twenty of them are new records for the mountains, 15 of them are new records for China, two of them are new to science. Pseudechiniscus pilatoi sp. n. is similar to Pseudechiniscus quadrilobatus Iharos, 1969. It differs from P. quadrilobatus in different cuticular sculpture, in the joints of paired‐plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifting but not protruding backward, and in lacking notches on terminal plate. Echiniscus marleyi sp. n. differs from E. canadensis Murray in having filaments D; it differs from E. mediantus Marcus in lacking filaments C but in having filaments D; it differs from E. spinulosus (Doyère) in lacking teeth B, C, E, and in having filaments D instead of teeth D.


Introduction
The Tsinling Mountains, the highest mountains in central China, and also the watershed for the Yangtze River and Yellow River catchment areas, are located in the central part of Shaanxi Province (in previous papers the translation of the name of these mountains has been spelt phonetically as Qinling Mountains). The Tardigrada fauna of Tsinling Mountains has been studied since 2004. Tardigrades from over 10 sites, from varying locations on the mountains, have been reported (Li et al. 2004(Li et al. , 2007Li and Liu 2005;, 2006Li 2005, 2006).
In autumn 2006, the author of this paper went to the mountains again, and collected more than 300 moss samples growing on the bark of trees or on rocks. This paper reports the many new species recorded as new to science, new to China, and new to the Tsinling Mountains. Unless otherwise stated, my specimens fit with the descriptions given by Ramazzotti and Maucci (1983). Taxonomic literature published since Ramazzotti and Maucci wrote their monograph in 1983 is also considered. The new species are figured and described and a checklist of tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains is also given.

Materials and methods
Mosses were collected mainly from two sites, Ningshan County and Mount Taibai, during the autumn field trip to the Tsinling Mountains. The two sampling sites may be representative of the habitats of tardigrades in the Tsinling Mountains. Mount Taibai, the highest peak of the Tsinling Mountains, has an elevation of 3767 m. Ningshan County, located in the hinterland of the Tsinling Mountains, 200 km away from Mount Taibai, has vegetation and elevation typical of most areas of the Tsinling Mountains. Over 1000 specimens were extracted individually using a pipette from moss samples and were mounted in Hoyer's medium. Observation and measurements were made using phase contrast microscopy (PCM; Leica DM LB2) and an eyepiece micrometer. Photomicrographs were made using PCM associated with a digital camera (Leica DFC Twain 6.1.1).

Taxonomic accounts
In this study 37 species were recorded and notes for these are presented here. A full checklist of all 63 species of tardigrades reported from the Tsinling Mountains is presented in Table I. HETEROTARDIGRADA Marcus, 1927ECHINISCOIDEA Marcus, 1927ECHINISCIDAE Thulin, 1928 Cornechiniscus lobatus (Ramazzotti) Material examined Six specimens were collected from Ningshan County, two specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Guangdong Province (Bartoš 1963). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Three specimens were collected from Ningshan County, two specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Description of the holotype
Measurements are provided in Table II. Colour red. Eyed. Cuticular sculpture composed of many small round or polygonal projections (see Figure 1a). The biggest granule with a diameter of 1.8 mm. Ventral side smooth except the area beside the gonopore with many small pores.  Pilato, 1987 Platicrista angustata (Murray) a Ramazzottius Binda and Pilato, 1986 Ramazzottius cf. oberhaeuseri (Doyère) a Astatumen Pilato, 1997 Astatumen trinacriae (Arcidiacono) a Itaquascon De Barros, 1939 Itaquascon placophorum Maucci b a New record for Tsinling Mountains; b new record for China. plate, first paired-plates, second median plate, second paired-plates, and terminal plate; third median plate absent, terminal plate with normal notches; two paired-plates with smooth bands. The fourth pair of legs with dentate collar containing six or seven teeth. Papilla-like projection present on the lateral surface of the fourth pair of legs, teeth present on the first pair of legs. Lateral side of each leg with many small granules (see Figures 1a, b, 2a). Spurs that pointed towards the base of the claw present on the internal two claws on all legs; three short teeth present on the external claws near the base on hind legs, a small tooth also present on the external claws near the base on third pair of legs (see Figure 2b, c). Eggs smooth, 98.9 mm long, 83.2 mm wide. Laid in exuviae.

Etymology
This species is dedicated to Mr Nigel Marley, School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.

Remarks
This new species differs from E. canadensis Murray in having filaments D; it differs from E. mediantus Marcus in lacking filaments C but in having filaments D; it differs from E. spinulosus (Doyère) in lacking teeth B, C, E, and in having filaments D instead of teeth D.

Material examined
Two specimens were collected from Ningshan County, four specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from the Sechuan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Fifteen specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Hebei Province and Guangdong Province (Pilato 1974). It was subsequently reported from Sechuan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Twenty-one specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 26 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Inner Mongolia (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937b. My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988

Diagnosis
Small in size. Colour red. Eyespots not detected. Head with normal appendages except clava rather long. Dorsal plates and areas between dorsal plates covered with sculpture composed of densely distributed granules, connected by lines so as to form a reticular design. Cephalic plate faceted; armour consists of single cephalic plate, scapular plate, first single median plate crescent-shaped, first paired-plates, second single median plate, second paired-plates, third single median plate, pseudosegmental plate subdivided along the mid-sagittal plane of the body and with a single lobe on the posterior edge along the dorsal median line; this lobe triangle-shaped, uplifted and protruded backward; terminal plate without notches. All median plates undivided and somewhat poorly developed. The joints of paired-plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifted but not protruded backward. A papilla present on the external side of the fourth pair of legs near their bases, spurs absent on all claws.

Description
Small in size (see Table III). Colour red. Eyespots not detected. Cephalic appendages include internal buccal cirrus, cephalic papilla short and wide, external buccal cirrus, cirrus A, and clava rather long. No other appendages present. Dorsal plates and areas between dorsal plates covered with sculpture very similar to Echiniscus elegans Richters (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983), that is, the sculpture composed of densely distributed granules, connected by lines so as to form a reticular design with the granule located at the crossing of lines (see Figure 3b). Cephalic plate faceted; armour consists of single cephalic plate, scapular plate, first single median plate crescent-shaped, first paired-plates, second single median plate, second paired-plates, third single median plate, pseudosegmental plate subdivided along the mid-sagittal plane of the body, the pseudosegmental plate with a single lobe on the posterior edge along the dorsal median line, the lobe triangle-shaped, uplifted (very remarkable when observed in profile) and protruded backward, the point that directed backward round; terminal plate without notches; scapular plate transversely divided into an anterior part and posterior part. All median plates undivided and somewhat poorly developed. The joints of paired-plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifted but not protruded backward (see Figures 3a, 4a). Legs normal length (see Table III); a papilla present on the external side of the fourth pair of legs near their bases; dentate collar absent; claws normally curved distally, without spurs near the bases on each leg (see Figures 3c, d, 4b, c).
Eggs unknown.

Remarks
This new species is similar to Pseudechiniscus quadrilobatus Iharos, 1969. It differs from P. quadrilobatus in a different cuticular sculpture on dorsal plates, in the joints of paired-plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifting but not protruding backward, and in lacking notches on terminal plate.

Material examined
Seventeen specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 12 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Yunnan Province (Yang 2002). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Seven specimens were collected from Ningshan County, five specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Beijing Municipality, Hebei Province and Guangdong Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937a(Rahm , 1936(Rahm -1937b(Rahm , 1937. My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Three specimens were collected from Ningshan County, five specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). Eyes present. Colourless. Cuticle smooth. The buccal tube wide. Pharynx with apophyses and three macroplacoids of rod shape, microplacoid absent, when present extremely small. Claws of hufelandi type, with lunule. This species is a new record for China.

Material examined
Eleven specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;McInnes 1995). Cuticle smooth. Colourless. Eyes present. Buccal tube rather wide. Pharynx with three macroplacoids of about equal length and a large microplacoid. Double claws of hufelandi type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Southern Orkney, UK.

Material examined
Thirty-three specimens were collected from Ningshan County, over 1000 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Beijing Municipality and Guangdong Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937a(Rahm , 1936(Rahm -1937b. It was subsequently collected from Shanxi Province (Bartoš 1963), from Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996), from Sechuan Province (Yang 2003). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Twenty-four specimens were collected from Ningshan County, over 300 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the redescription of this species (Bertolani and Rebecchi 1993). This species was reported as a new record for China from Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937a. It was subsequently collected from Guangdong Province (Mathews 1937) and from Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong (Pilato 1974). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Three specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
Eye spots present. Buccal tube wide. Pharynx with apophyses and three macroplacoids of granule shape and of about equal size. Double claws of hufelandi type. This species is a new record for China.

Material examined
Eight specimens were collected from Ningshan County, five specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Beijing Municipality and Hebei Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937b(Rahm , 1937. It was subsequently collected from Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Four specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Binda et al. 2001). Colourless. Eyes present. Cuticle smooth with pearls. Pharynx with apophyses and two rod-shaped macroplacoids and microplacoid. First macroplacoid with a central constriction, longer than the second macroplacoid. Claws of hufelandi type. Lunules and cuticular bar present. Eggs with conical processes covered by a reticular sculpture. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Mohanga, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Material examined
Fifteen specimens were collected from Ningshan County, over 500 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996). It was subsequently reported from Hubei Province (Yang 2007). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Twenty specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 18 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Hainan Island and Hebei Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937b(Rahm , 1937. It was subsequently reported from Sechuan Province and Yunnan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of Claxton's monograph (Claxton 1998). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Three specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Guangdong Province (Pilato 1974). It was subsequently reported from Yunnan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). It has never been reported from Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Nine specimens were collected from Ningshan County.

Remarks
The cuticular sculpture, the number and arrangement of the gibbosities in our specimens fit the description of this species (Beasley and Pilato 1987). This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in North America.

Material examined
Six specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 10 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
The cuticular sculpture, two macroplacoids, and the number and arrangement of the gibbosities in my specimens fit the description of this species (Horning et al. 1978;Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983). This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in New Zealand.

Material examined
Nine specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 13 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;Kathman 1990). Eyes present. Buccal tube rather narrow. Pharynx contains apophyses and two macroplacoids, the first macroplacoid longer than the second one, microplacoid absent or present; when present, it is very small. Double claws of Hypsibius type. Smooth egg deposited in the exuvium. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Poland.

Material examined
Over 50 specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 21 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Hebei Province (Mathews 1937). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;McInnes 1995). It has never been reported from Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Eight specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 10 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
Eye spots present. Cuticle smooth. Buccal aperture narrow and turned ventrally narrow. Pharynx with robust apophyses and two granule-shaped macroplacoids, of which the first a little larger than the second; microplacoid absent. Double claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China.

Material examined
Eleven specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Abe 2004). Dorsum covered with irregularly shaped sculpture. Buccal tube narrow. Pharynx with two granule-shaped macroplacoids, microplacoid absent. Cuticular bar present between the anterior claw and the posterior claw on hind legs. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Sakhlin Island, Far East Russia.

Material examined
Ten specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 14 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;Kathman 1990). Colourless. Eye spots present. Cuticular sculpture consists of many granules, 10 transverse rows of large gibbosities present with the following configuration: three gibbosities in row 1, two in row 2, three in row 3, four in row 4, three in row 5, four in row 6, three in row 7, four in row 8, two in row 9, three in row 10. Pharynx with two rodshaped macroplacoids. Claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Hungary.

Material examined
Eleven specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 21 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). Colourless. Eyes present. Cuticle smooth. Buccal tube wide. Pharynx with apophyses and three macroplacoids. The first two placoids almost contact each other. Claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Sweden.

Material examined
Nine specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Sechuan Province and Yunnan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). The reticular sculpture, number and configuration of gibbosities in my specimens fit the description of this species (Dastych 1990). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Fifteen specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
Eyes present. Cuticle sculptured with eight transverse rows of hemispherical gibbosities (two per row); cuticle with characteristic polygonal sculpture. The gibbosities are dorsal in the first seven rows, dorsolateral in the last. The drop-like structure present between the buccal tube pharyngeal tube. Pharynx contains apophyses, two macroplacoids, and septula, without microplacoid. Double claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Sicily, Italy.

Material examined
Twenty-one specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Sechuan Province and Yunnan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;McInnes 1995;Pilato and Binda 1997/98). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Only one specimen was collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
Eyes absent. Cuticle smooth. ''Drop'' formation on the buccal tube absent. Pharynx with very small apophyses and three macroplacoids of rod shape, the first two of almost equal length; microplacoid and septula absent. Double claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Sicily, Italy.

Material examined
Seven specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
My specimens fit the description of this species (Binda et al. 1984;Kathman 1990). Cuticle smooth. ''Drop'' formation on the buccopharyngeal tube absent. Pharynx with three rodshaped macroplacoids, of which the first two are of about equal length. Microplacoid absent. Claws of Hypsibius type. This species is a new record for China. Its type locality is in Poland.

Material examined
Two specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 14 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Yunnan Province (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Sixty-six specimens were collected from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Fujian Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937a(Rahm , 1936(Rahm -1937b. My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Binda and Pilato 1986;Dastych 1988;Biserov 1997Biserov /1998). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Two specimens were collected from Ningshan County.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Dastych 1988;Pilato 1997). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains.

Material examined
Six specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 16 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
Cuticle smooth. Buccal tube divided into anterior rigid portion and posterior flexible portion with annulation. Pharynx without macroplacoids, microplacoid, or septulum. Claws of Hypsibius type. Cuticular bars present on the first three pairs of legs. This species is a new record for China.

Material examined
Twenty-eight specimens were collected from Ningshan County, 167 specimens from Mount Taibai.

Remarks
This species was reported as a new record for China from Beijing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Hebei Province, and Shanxi Province (Rahm 1936(Rahm -1937a(Rahm , 1936(Rahm -1937b(Rahm , 1937. It was subsequently reported from Sechuan Province and Yunnan Province (Beasley and Cleveland 1996), and from Sechuan Province again (Beasley et al. 2006). My specimens fit the description of this species (Ramazzotti and Maucci 1983;Tumanov 2006). It has never been reported from the Tsinling Mountains. Compared with the Tardigrada faunae of other parts of China, the Tardigrada fauna of the Tsinling Mountains is characterized by much higher species diversity and by some native species. Over 100 species have previously been reported from China (Li et al. 2007). The additional species listed here brings this total to nearly 120 species. Of these, 63 species have been found in the Tsinling Mountains. A total of 20 new records for China and 12 species new to science have been reported from the Tsinling Mountains (Li et al. 2004(Li et al. , 2007Li and Liu 2005;, 2006Li 2005, 2006).