The genus Milnesium (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Milnesiidae) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee, USA), with the description of Milnesium bohleberi sp. nov.

A new species of tardigrade, Milnesium bohleberi, has been discovered in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), adding to the growing diversity of the genus Milnesium. This finding challenges the long-held assumption that the genus consisted of a single cosmopolitan species, Milnesium tardigradum. The discovery was part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) and utilized recent taxonomic revisions to identify and describe Milnesium bohleberi, which differs from its closest relative, M. eurystomum, by shorter claws and a distinct buccal tube structure. Additionally, the study confirmed the presence of another rare species, Milnesium granulatum, previously known only from Chile, Italy, and Romania. The research highlights the importance of re-evaluating specimens using updated taxonomic characters to uncover hidden biodiversity.

BARTELS, P. J., NELSON, D. R., KACZMAREK, Ł., & MICHALCZYK, Ł. (2014). The genus Milnesium (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Milnesiidae) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee, USA), with the description of Milnesium bohleberi sp. nov. Zootaxa, 3826(2). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3826.2.5