MEYER, H. A.; McNeese State University: A Review of Limnoterrestrial Tardigrade Distribution in the Gulf Coast States

Until recently, with one exception the distribution of limnoterrestrial tardigrades in the states of the American Gulf Coast was virtually unknown. Only in Texas had there been extensive sampling. Three published studies found 18 species in Texas. Tardigrades were unknown in Louisiana and Mississippi, and in Alabama and Florida only four species were known. More recent studies, published or under submission, have added considerably to our knowledge of the terrestrial fauna of Louisiana (15 species), Mississippi (9 species), Alabama (18 species), and Florida (20 species). In Texas and Florida, collections were made from throughout the state. Collections in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were more localized. Most of the tardigrade species have been collected from cryptogams on trees and rocks, very few from leaf litter or soil, and virtually none from freshwater habitats. Some of the recorded species are new to science or to the North American fauna, while others are cosmopolitan. Given the spotty nature of tardigrade collecting in the Gulf Coast states, any comparison of tardigrade species across the region, or between the Gulf Coast states and other areas, must remain highly tentative. The available data do suggest that tardigrade species richness in cryptogams in the Gulf States is low relative to other North American regions. More work is needed to determine whether this lower diversity is real or an artefact of sampling intensity.