Tenuibiotus, Pilato et Lisi, 2011

Tsvetkova, A. Yu. & Tumanov, D. V., 2024, Tenuibiotus yeliseii sp. nov., a new species of Macrobiotidae (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada) from Svalbard, Norway, with discussion of taxonomic criteria within the genus and its phylogeny, Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 33 (1), pp. 28-47 : 43

Key to the species of the genus Tenuibiotus

1. Egg processes long, thin, filiform............................................. T. hystricogenitus

– Egg processes of another shape.................. 2

2. Egg processes conical, truncated................ 3

– Egg processes conical with pointed ends......... 4

3. Dorsal buccal armature (under LM) in the shape of a single triangular crest pointing backwards..................................... T. tenuiformis

– Dorsal buccal armature (under LM) with transverse ridges................................. T. tenuis

4. Dorsal buccal armature consists of two large separate granules........................ T. danilovi

– Dorsal buccal armature of another configuration.. 5

5. Granulation visible under LM present on the dorsal side of body.................................. 6

– Granulation visible under LM absent on the dorsal body cuticle.................................. 8

6. Number of processes on egg circumference more than 20........................... T. voronkovi

– Number of processes on egg circumference no more than 15...................................... 7

7. Mediodorsal ridge of the buccal armature in shape of a triangular tooth pointed backwards; medioventral ridge appears as separate granules; cuticular sculpture on the dorsal and ventral sides of the body visible under LM as distinct dotted pattern..................................... T. zandrae

– Mediodorsal ridge in shape of a transverse line; medioventral ridge undivided; cuticular sculpture only on the caudal dorsum visible under LM as indistinct granulation (Fig. 8a).... T. bondavallii *