Protistology 11 (4), 215–230 (2017) |
Taxonomy of Quadrulella longicollis and Q. symmetrica (Arcellinida: Hyalospheniidae) from the central part of the Balkan Peninsula |
University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, Novi Sad, Serbia | Submitted November 17, 2017 | Accepted November 23, 2017 | Summary The genus Quadrulella comprises most species of hyalosphenid testate amoebae with quadrangular shell plates. The taxonomic status of almost all species is questionable because they are poorly studied. Quadrulella symmetrica is the type species with cosmopolitan distribution. In this paper, morphological variability of Q. symmetrica based on two populations from the central part of the Balkan Peninsula is presented. Intermediate forms between Q. symmetrica s.s. and Q. madibai were registered; therefore, taxonomic status of these two recently delimited taxa is discussed. In one studied population, a specimen covered by mixed quadrangular and circular shell plates was observed. Recently, taxonomic status of Q. longicollis has been defined as questionable. Here are present morphological and morphometric data of Q. longicollis based on 130 examined specimens from Šargan Mountain (Serbia). The present study strongly supports the opinion that this taxon is a separate species within the genus Quadrulella.
Key words: biometry, morphometry, protists, taxonomy, testate amoebae
Address for correspondence: Stefan Luketa. Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; e-mail: stefan.luketa@dbe.uns.ac.rs |
| Load PDF | Back to Contents | |