3 MILNESIUM DOYERE; BIGRANULATUS GROUP; PINGUE GROUP; SP-NOV; HYPSIBIIDAE; KEY; HETEROTARDIGRADA; REDESCRIPTIONS; DORYPHORIBIUS; ECHINISCIDAE

In thirteen (mostly soil) mixed samples, collected from nine localities on the Antarctic continent and some of the neighbouring islands, 788 specimens and 32 eggs of tardigrades were found. In total, five species were identified: Acutuncus antarcticus, Echiniscus jenningsi, Diphascon (D.) victoriae, Hypsibius dujardini and Ramajendas dastychi sp. nov. A. antarcticus was the most abundant (nearly 90% of all specimens) and was the prevailing taxon found in the majority of locations. R. dastychi sp. nov. is the fourth species described in the exclusively Antarctic/sub-Antarctic genus. The new species differs from all other congeners by the presence of four gibbosities on the caudo-dorsal cuticle (configuration II:2-2) and also by some morphometric characters. In this paper we also briefly discuss the taxonomy and zoogeography of the genus Ramajendas.