Planhoogenraadia liboica Bonnet, 1979

Diagnosis: Shell relatively flat, with a dorsal convexity. Shell widest in the center. Aperture deep and narrow, with depth from 15 to 19 μm and width from 29 to 41 μm; upper lip has a distinct cap-like structure. Upper part of the test flattened, giving a distinctly different profile from other species of this genus. Posterior part of the test meets the ventral side at a blunt angle which is clearly distinct from the smooth transition in Planhoogenraadia wuhanica. The coefficients of variation of most measured variables are below 10%.

Dimensions: Length 89 ± 3.5 μm; width 64 ± 3.7 μm.

Ecology: Soil of subtropical forest dominated by Cinnamomum camphora (camphor tree) and the grass Deyeuxia langsdorffii. Campus of China U niversity of Geosciences in Wuhan, central China.

Remarks: The ventral region of Planhoogenraadia liboica is flat. This species differs from the most similar previously described species Planhoogenraadia alta by smaller shell size, specifically smaller shell length and narrower shell width. P. liboica has a broader shell than other similar taxa; the mean shell length/shell width ratio is 1.4 compared to 2.2 for Planhoogenraadia acuta, 1.5 for P. alta, and 1.9 for Planhoogenraadia asturica. P. liboica is similar in morphology to P. alta with the exception of the blunt angle between the posterior end and ventral side of the shell. The size of P. liboica shell is smaller than in Planhoogenraadia wuchanica with shell length min – 106, max – 134 μm and shell width min – 60, max – 92 μm (Bobrov et al., 2019).

Reference: Bobrov, A. 2019. Planhoogenraadia liboica sp. nov. a new testate amoebae species from mountain forest soils in China. Protistology 13 (2), 64–66.