Echiniscus barbarae, a new species of tardigrade from Cuba Island (Tardigrada : Heterotardigrada, Echiniscidae, 'arctomys group')

A new heterotardigrade, Echiniscus barbarae sp. nov., is described from a moss sample collected in Cuba. This species belongs to the ‘arctomys group’, which contains many problematic species. The new species differs from the most similar species Echiniscus limai mainly by having cephalic, scapular and terminal dorsal plates not faceted. This paper is the first record of Tardigrada from Cuba