An interesting group of testate amoebae is the genus Difflugia. There have been described hundreds of species, but the question is: how many of them are true species? Most descriptions are inaccurate of just based on one single test. Probably this group consists of several genera. Only DNA sequencing can help here. One of my projects is to make a visual map of all known species. It’s one of the most difficult taxa to identify.
Specimen with an optical cross-section of the peduncle (left) Organic-walled species Diagnosis: Multinucleated organic-walled monothalamous foraminifera. Test spherical to oval shaped, with a hyaline, flexible,
V. tyrolensis, two specimens Velamentofex tyrolensis Völcker and Clauß, 2020 April 2022, I found two specimens in a sample from the pond in Crailoo, Netherlands. I could
Raphidiophrys n. sp. Raphidiophrys n. sp. Diagnosis: Plate-scales canoe-shaped, elongated, with tapering, rounded poles, slightly curved upwardly. Light microscopically, these plate-scales show a clear rim;
Lacogromia sp., Naardermeer, the Netherlands, 2022 (n=nucleus) Lacogromia sp. Six living specimens were found in an old sediment sample from a freshwater ditch in nature
S. rhombophora , after Bonnet, 1966 Sphenoderia rhombophora Bonnet, 1966 Diagnosis: Test hyaline, ellipsoidal, very slightly compressed. Fundus relatively narrow. Pseudostome largely truncated. Neck very
S. ovoidea , after Jung, 1942 Sphenoderia ovoidea Jung, 1942 Diagnosis: Shell with four layers of plate-scales. Distinguished from S. fissirostris by the ovoid tapering
S. truncata , after Van Oye, 1949 Sphenoderia truncata Van Oye, 1949 Diagnosis: Shell smooth and diaphanous, with usually pentagonal, sometimes hexagonal, inconspicuous plates. The
N. gimlii, from Singer and Lara, 2015 Nebela gimlii Singer and Lara, 2015 Diagnosis: Test wide pyriform or drop-shaped, laterally compressed, with a protruding narrow
Overview Sphenoderia S. compressa S. fissirostris S. labiata S. lenta S. macrolepis S. minuta S. ovoidea S. rhombophora S. sphaerica S. splendida S. truncata
Nebela overview N. acolla N. aliciae N. aliciae N. barbata N. bohemica N. carinatella N. collaris N. flabellulum N. gimlii N. golemanskyi N. nebeloides N.