Sk. Claxton, SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN AUSTRALIAN ECHINISCUS (TARDIGRADA, ECHINISCIDAE)WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF 3 NEW SPECIES, Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 116(1-2), 1996, pp. 13-33
The presence of males in species of Echiniscus has been reported only
as recently as 1987 and is still considered to be rare. However, males
have been found to be common in a disproportionately large number of
species of this genus found in Australia. Evidence of sexual dimorphis
m is presented for five species (three of which are new to science), f
emales and mates of which are differentiated on the basis of distincti
ve gonopores. In all five species males are shorter with longer clavae
. Males of Echiniscus jamesi sp. nov., Echiniscus rodnae sp. nov. and
Echiniscus curiosus sp. nov. have significantly longer claws. In E. ro
dnae sp. nov. and E. curiosus sp. nov. males have significantly longer
lateral trunk appendages and the dorsal trunk appendage combinations
of males of the latter are different from those of females. The widesp
read distribution of bisexual species of Echiniscus in xeric habitats
in Australia does not support the current theory that parthenogenetic
species are favoured in such environments. (C) 1996 The Linnean Societ
y of London