Quadrulella variabilis, Anush Kosakyan, Daniel J. G. Lahr, Matthieu Mulot, Ralf Meisterfeld, Edward A. D. Mitchell & Enrique Lara, 2016

Anush Kosakyan, Daniel J. G. Lahr, Matthieu Mulot, Ralf Meisterfeld, Edward A. D. Mitchell & Enrique Lara, 2016, Phylogenetic reconstruction based on COI reshuffles the taxonomy of hyalosphenid shelled (testate) amoebae and reveals the convoluted evolution of shell plate shapes, Cladistics 32, pp. 606-623 : 620

Quadrulella variabilis sp. nov. Kosakyan, Lahr, Mulot, Meisterfeld, Mitchell and Lara

Description. Test ovoid or pyriform, with a rounded posterior end, laterally compressed towards the pseudostome, very similar to that in Q. symmetrica , sometimes with an elongated neck. Test colourless, composed of square plates, regularly arranged in rows. The plates are smaller near the aperture (3 – 4 µm), then gradually become larger (up to 7 – 9 µm) toward the posterior end of the test. Dimensions of the test (based on the seven sequenced individuals): length = 66 – 69 (96) µm, breadth = 35 – 40.5 (45) µm. Aperture 17 – 18.5 µm wide, often curved and bordered by a thin organic lip.

Differential diagnosis. See diagnosis of Q. symmetrica .

Type locality. The tests were collected from Sphagnum mosses in Le Cachot bog, Vallée de la Brévine, Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland (47.5 ° N, 6.4 ° E).

Holotype. Fig. 2 , paratype Fig. 7 d.

Etymology. The species has members with a variable neck length.

Notes. One other possibility is to describe the entire clade as Q. longicollis . However, given that we have only one Q. longicollis sequence (which may not correspond to the typical Q. longicollis , see Discussion), DNA of which was extracted from more than one cell, we would need additional data to understand whether the elongated neck is a result of phenotypic plasticity or a genetically fixed character.

Figures

Fig. 2. Light micrographs of barcoded Quadrulella variabilis sp. nov. cells: (a) cell Q- 54; (b) cell Q- 48; (c) cell Q- 52; (d) cell Q- 101; (e) cell Q- 98; (f) cell Q- 53. Scale bars = 10 µm.

Fig. 7. Light micrographs of three barcoded Mrabella subcarinata cells (previously known as Quadrulella subcarinata): (a) cell Q- 1; (b) cell Q- 2; (c) cell Q- 16. Scale bars = 20 µm (in a and b) and 50 µm (in c).