The dataset brings together all records of rotifers (Phylum Rotifera) found by N. Iakovenko, D. Lukashanets, and D. Fontaneto worldwide in limno-terrestrial habitats – substrates that periodically undergo cycles of desiccation and hydration but cannot be classified as temporary waterbodies – such as mosses, lichens, fungi, timber, upper layers of soil, and litter.

From 1996 to the present, we have collected and analysed more than 2,275 limno-terrestrial samples Sampling covered all continents and over 50 countries, spanning from the Arctic to the Antarctic, including most of major biomes. The altitude of sampling sites ranged from 0 to 4,610 m above sea level. In total, the dataset includes 5,729 records of limno-terrestrial rotifers. We found 216 clonal species (including nominal ‘subspecies’ that in bdelloids are to be updated to species in future) belonging to 23 genera (9 of Monogononta and 14 of Bdelloidea). More than other 400 species-level entities were different in minor or major details from the original descriptions and potentially might be new taxa.

The submitted dataset is extensive and substantially contributes to the current knowledge of diversity and distribution of limno-terrestrial rotifers subject that is still poorly known, especially outside Europe. We present it for the wider use in studies of microinvertebrate biodiversity and macroecology.

GBIF url: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/0190c60e-e4fe-444d-b0f3-3be8368c2e0a
Citation: Lukashanets D, Iakovenko N, Fontaneto D, Devetter M, Janko K, Ejsmont-Karabin J, Bielańska-Grajner I, Hallet B, Smykla J, Kozeretska I, Trokhymets V (2025). New data on limno-terrestrial rotifers of the world. Version 1.9. Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/vymt96 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-10-28.