taxonID	type	description	language	source
03F787C2FF8C421DD3B42430FDEF37C4.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis of Indian population: The size is typically about 160 μm × 45 μm, as inferred from the morphometric data in Table 1, with an estimated 15 % shrinkage due to preparation (Kumar & Foissner, 2016; Kumar et al., 2016). The length-to-width ratio averages 4: 1. The shape is slender and elongated-elliptical with rounded body ends, dorsoventrally flattened, and extremely flexible. Numerous small macronuclear nodules are scattered throughout the cell with the number ranging between 43 and 81. Individual nodules measure on average of 6 μm × 4 μm in protargol preparation, and vary in shape — ellipsoidal, globular, or elongated — each containing small nucleoli. Micronuclei are difficult to recognize in vivo and in protargol preparations, with each cell typically containing 1 – 2 micronuclei, averaging 3 μm in diameter in protargol preparation. A single contractile vacuole is present to the left of the mid-body. Conspicuous small, elongated oval, yellow-coloured cortical granules are distributed across the body, forming irregular short rows aligned between the cirral and bristle rows. The cytoplasm is colourless, filled with lipid droplets and numerous food vacuoles. Movement is swift in raw cultures as well as on microscopic slides. The adoral zone contains approximately 35 membranelles and extends on average of 33 % of the body length. The buccal cavity is deep and large. The paroral and endoral membranelles intersect optically, with the paroral being curved anteriorly. There are three enlarged frontal cirri, with the right cirrus positioned at the distal end of the adoral zone of membranelles, as usual. On average, there are two cirri (parabuccal) behind the right frontal cirrus. There are 5 – 7 buccal cirri situated to the right of the paroral. The frontoterminal cirral row is short, consisting of about 2 – 4 cirri, located just to the right of the first midventral pair. The midventral complex consists of about 8 – 15 cirral pairs, terminating near the mid-body and forming slightly oblique rows of 2 – 6 midventral cirri. The rightmost midventral row ends slightly above the right transverse cirri. There are 5 – 10 small transverse cirri closely arranged in an oblique row. One left and one right marginal cirral row are present, non-confluent posteriorly, consisting on average of 45 and 50 cirri, respectively. The right marginal cirral row extends to the dorsolateral surface anteriorly and terminates slightly subterminally at the posterior body end. Consistently, three bipolar dorsal kineties are present. Caudal cirri are absent. Material deposited: Ten slides with protargol-impregnated specimens have been deposited at the National Zoological Collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India, with the following accession numbers: Pt. 5300 – 5309. Occurrence and ecology: Thus far reported from Namibia, Austria, China and South Korea (Chae et al., 2021). The Indian population was isolated from a soil sample collected from the citrus field of the village namely, Tharike, Ludhiana, Punjab, India (30 ° 52 ' 37.9 " N 75 ° 46 ' 31.1 " E). The species typically feeds on bacteria and algae. Remarks: The Indian population of Bakuella (Bakuella) granulifera Foissner et al. (2002) is considerably smaller in size compared to other populations. Table 2 provides a comparison between the Indian population and the previously described populations.	en	Ghosh, Arnab, Bharti, Daizy, Pathania, Prakash Chand, Kumar, Santosh (2024): Description of two ciliated protists from agricultural soils of India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 124 (1): 1-10, DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v124/i1/2024/169070
03F787C2FF8E421AD3B4250BFABE3666.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis of Indian population (Data based on two live specimens and four specimens after protargol impregnation): Size 100 – 147 μm × 5 – 25 μm in protargol preparations, including 15 % shrinkage due to preparation (Kumar & Foissner, 2016; Kumar et al., 2016). The shape is rod-like, not laterally flattened, and the organism is extremely fragile, with a short proboscis making up approximately one-fifth of the body length. Shedding of the proboscis is frequently observed under coverslip pressure. The oral apparatus is not prominent in the observed specimens, and the tail region is conspicuously, though slightly, flattened. The nuclear apparatus is located near the mid-body, consisting of two spiralized oblong macronuclear nodules. The anterior and posterior nodules measure, on average, 12 μm × 4 μm and 14 μm × 4 μm, respectively. A micronucleus is present between the two macronuclear nodules, measuring about 2 μm in diameter. Four or five contractile vacuoles are located on the dorsal side. Two types of extrusomes are present throughout the body and proboscis. Type 1 extrusomes are thick, short, and slightly dumbbell-shaped, with a more or less flat base and a slightly convex anterior end, each measuring about 2 μm × 1 μm. Type 2 extrusomes are rod-shaped, each measuring 2 - 3 μm in length and ≤ 0.5 μm in width. The cytoplasm is colourless, with many colourless cortical granules scattered throughout the body between the cirral rows. Movement is slow and serpentine. There are 6 - 7 ciliary rows, with cilia measuring about 4 μm long in protargol-impregnated specimens, and these are comparatively loosely arranged in the posterior third of the trunk. Dorsal brush was not observed due to mediocre quality stained preparations. Material deposited: The holotype and two paratype slides with protargol-impregnated cells have been deposited at the National Zoological Collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India, with the following accession numbers: Pt. 5276, Pt. 5285 and Pt. 5299. Etymology: The species is named after India, the country where it was first discovered. Occurrence and ecology: The type species was isolated from the soil collected from the pulse field of Ayali Kalan village, Ludhiana, Punjab, India (30 ° 53 ' 35.2 " N 75 ° 45 ' 32.4 " E). The yellowish-brown-coloured soil was slightly sandy. The species feeds on naked amoebae, algae and other ciliates. Comparison with the congeners: To date, only three species of the genus Microdileptus have been identified. Microdileptus indica n. sp. is morphologically similar to its congeners: M. breviproboscis (Foissner, 1981) Vďačný & Foissner, 2012, M. microstoma (Vďačný & Foissner, 2008) Vďačný & Foissner, 2012, and M. semiarmatus (Vďačný & Foissner, 2008) Vďačný & Foissner, 2012, with a few but noticeable differences (Table 3). Microdileptus indica differs from M. breviproboscis in the number of ciliary rows (6 - 7 vs. 9 - 10) and the shape of Type I extrusomes (slightly dumbbell-shaped vs. oblong). The new species can be distinguished from M. microstoma by the shape of the extrusomes (slightly dumbbell-shaped vs. ampulliform) and the contractile vacuole pattern (a continuous dorsal row vs. a dorsal row without vacuoles in the middle of the trunk). Microdileptus semiarmatus differs from the new species by its conspicuous extrusomes in the proboscis (present only in the posterior half of the proboscis vs. almost throughout its length), the shape of the extrusomes (cuneate vs. slightly dumbbell-shaped), and the number of ciliary rows (8 - 13 vs. 6 - 7).	en	Ghosh, Arnab, Bharti, Daizy, Pathania, Prakash Chand, Kumar, Santosh (2024): Description of two ciliated protists from agricultural soils of India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 124 (1): 1-10, DOI: 10.26515/rzsi/v124/i1/2024/169070
