Nyctotherus, LEIDY, 1849

Pecina, Lukáš & Vďačný, Peter, 2022, DNA barcoding and coalescent-based delimitation of endosymbiotic clevelandellid ciliates (Ciliophora: Clevelandellida): a shift to molecular taxonomy in the inventory of ciliate diversity in panesthiine cockroaches, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 194 (4), pp. 1072-1102 : 1093

GENUS NYCTOTHERUS LEIDY, 1849

Improved diagnosis: Body ovate; macronucleus usually oriented with its longer axis perpendicularly to main body axis; karyophore present, typically attached to right and left body sides; somatic ciliature holotrichous, ventral rows gradually shortened along oral groove, dorsal rows form a median suture in anterior and posterior body region; oral groove begins subapically and extends along left body margin to about mid-body; peristomial funnel (vestibulum) inverted J-shaped; adoral zone of membranelles runs in oral groove then plunges into vestibulum to extend on its right side.

Type species: Nyctotherus velox Leidy, 1849 by monotypy (Article 68.3 of ICZN, 1999).

Etymology: Not provided in the original description. Composed of the Greek prefix nukt - (νυΚΤ-; dark) and the Greek noun thēríon (θηρ ῐ[n]; animal), likely alluding to the habitat (i.e. hindgut) of type species. Masculine gender (Article 30.1.3 of ICZN, 1999).