Discophrya gessneri Matthes, 1954

Mariño-Pérez, Ricardo, Dovgal, Igor & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2011, New records of suctorians (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as epibionts of aquatic true bugs (Hemiptera: Prosorrhyncha: Nepomorpha) from two regions: Mexico and Eastern Europe, Zootaxa 2798, pp. 48-60 : 56

Discophrya gessneri Matthes, 1954

Fig. 1 d.

Freshwater species with flattened asymmetrical body. Stalk short, cup-like apically covering about a quarter of body. Clavate tentacles not arranged in fascicles, evenly distributed over apical body surface and each one beginning from small projections of the cortex. Macronucleus spherical, centrally located. Reproduction has not been observed.

Dimensions: body length 20–42; width 17–36; length of the tentacles about 60. Previous measurements: body length 18–38; body width 18–38; length of tentacles until 60.

Material examined. Found as epibiont of: Aphelocheirus aestivalis . Ukraine. Psel river near village Kamennoe. 17.07.1988. Psel river near village Malyj Perevoz, Poltava region. 24.07.1988. Belarus. Ubort’ river between villages Kopishche (Zhytomir region, Ukraine) and Milashevichi (Gomel’ region, Belarus) 12.08.1983.

Additional records. Aphelocheirus aestivalis ( Matthes et al. 1988) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Some epibiotic suctorians of nepomorphans. a. Manuelophrya hannae parasite of peritrich epibiont of Lethocerus sp. (Mexico). b. Pseudogemma pachystyla parasite of Periacineta buckei attached to Ranatra sp. (Mexico). c. Discophrya elongata on Ranatra sp. (Mexico). d. Discophrya gessneri epibiont of Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Ukraine); the insert shows the shape of the stalk. e. Discophrya lichteinsteinii found on Ambrysus sp. (Mexico). f. Empty loricaes of Periacineta notonectae from Corixa sp. (Ukraine). g-i. Periacineta buckei from Ranatra sp., Belostoma sp. and Lethocerus sp., respectively (Mexico).