S. lenta, 43 µm
Sphenoderia lenta Schlumberger, 1845
Diagnosis: shell in side-view spherical or elliptical, not compressed, in cross-section circular; plate scales circular or broad-elliptical. Pseudostome a narrow slit, surrounded by a thin hyaline collar, with one side V-shaped, covered with minute scales.
Dimensions: length 30-70 µm.
Habitat: in wet Sphagnum and other mosses. Also in detritus without Sphagnum-contact.
Remarks: rather common.
Sphenoderia lenta, 70 µm
Sphenoderia lenta, with zoochlorellae
Both shells 61 µm long, Lolo Pass, Montana, USA
Shell from Rotes Wasser, Germany; pseudostome
Shell from Rotes Wasser, Germany
Sphenoderia lenta in division
Sphenoderia lenta, left: with three rows of scales visible; right: notice the small white spots on the collar, which are small scales.
S. lenta, SEM image: from Ogden and Hedley, 1980 (l.) and Chatelain et al, 2013 (r.)
S. lenta, Ecuador
Ecuador, moss