P. nidulus, 140 µm, lateral and ventral view, from Haaksbergerveen, Netherlands, stacked image
Phryganella nidulus Penard (1902)
Diagnosis: Shell large, usually of rough contour, brown, opaque, circular and hemispherical in lateral view, usually composed of a mixture of diatom frustules and quartz particles; one or more large particles contributes to the irregular outline of the shell and aperture; aperture large and slightly invaginated; pseudopodia slender, but often accompanied by broad lobes of protoplasm extending radially in all directions.
Dimensions. Penard (1902): Shell diameter 165-220 µm. My measurements: 140-180 µm (n=13).
Ecology: Freshwater and mosses.
Phryganella nidulus – after Penard, 1902
P. nidulus, apertura view, from Odenwald, Germany, 2021
P. nidulus, apertura view, from Odenwald, Germany, 2021
P. nidulus, lateral view, from Odenwald, Germany, 2021
P. nidulus, dorsal view, from Odenwald, Germany, 2021
P. nidulus, Odenwald, Germany, 2021
Phryganella nidulus – after Chardez, 1969