taxonID	type	description	language	source
067187ACFFCFFFCDFF40F2FFBFF532DD.taxon	materials_examined	Materials examined: 19 examples, tree moss sample, Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India, 27.5340 ° N, 93.9515 ° E (Registration No. Pt. 3644 / 1).	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCFFFCDFF40F2FFBFF532DD.taxon	description	Description: Test is ovoid, hyaline, constructed from regularly overlapping siliceous plates or scales (Fig. 2). The aperture is terminal and lipped, formed by a thin chitinous collar, with one side characteristically inclined inward. Test dimensions range from 61.41 ± 1.24 µm to 64.22 ± 1.24 µm in length and 36.24 ± 0.26 µm to 36.95 ± 0.26 µm in breadth (Table 1). The test thickness is typically equivalent to the breadth, although it may be 5 – 10 % less. The aperture measures 16.07 ± 1.63 µm to 19.67 ± 1.63 µm. The cytoplasm is colorless and only partially occupies the test interior. One or two contractile vacuoles are commonly present. A large, posteriorly positioned nucleus is commonly observed and it contains one or two pale nucleoli. The average dimensions of siliceous plates are 11.38 ± 0.56 µm in length and 7.00 ± 0.52 µm in breadth (Table 2). Pseudopodia, although rarely observed, are long, filose, delicate and sometimes forked. The aperture is distinguished by a prominent collar or neck structure. Where the collar meets the test, the aperture is slender and narrow with rounded, semicircular ends. In lateral view, the collar exhibits a conical profile due to the convergence of its flat sides. In broad view, the outer margin of one side is concave, and its outline is marked by two diagonal lines originating from the outer corners, indicating the inward bend of one lip. Two types of neck morphology are observed at various viewing planes: one tapers gradually from the collar if viewed from lateral side, while the other features a deep notch or rounded depression where it joins the test, if viewed from dorsal. The collar typically appears smooth under light microscopy, but minute scales are properly visible in SEM.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCFFFCDFF40F2FFBFF532DD.taxon	distribution	Distribution: The Species distribution list is in Table 7.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCFFFCDFF40F2FFBFF532DD.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Earlier studies have reported the different size dimensions of S. lenta, viz., 49 – 51 × 30 – 33 µm (Charman et al. 2000), 30 – 64 µm (Corbet 1973), 47 – 55 × 35 – 40 µm (Ogden & Hedley 1980), 35 – 55 × 24 – 40 µm (Ogden 1984), 38 – 59 × 23 – 45 µm (Todorov & Bankov 2019), 56.4 ± 2.2 × 35.1 ± 1.7 µm (Chatelain et al. 2013). Likewise, in our study, morphometric data indicate a close similarity with the observations of Corbet 1973 and Todorov & Bankov 2019.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCEFFCBFF40F692BA3F32DD.taxon	materials_examined	Materials examined: 22 examples, water sediment samples, Nan Shnong Lake, Meghalaya, India, 25.27777 ° N, 91.70669 ° E. (Registration No. Pt. 6264, Pt. 6265, Pt. 6266, Pt. 6267, Pt. 6268).	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCEFFCBFF40F692BA3F32DD.taxon	description	Description: Test is ovoid, uncompressed, translucent in appearance, constructed from regularly imbricated siliceous plates of approximately equal dimensions (Fig. 3). The plates are about 4.70 ± 0.75 µm to 7.43 ± 0.75 µm in length and 2.65 ± 0.82 µm to 5.43 ± 0.82 µm in width (Table 4), arranged in a relatively regular pattern, typically forming four to six horizontal rows. Test size varies between 34.76 ± 1.50 µm and 39.52 ± 1.50 µm in length and 20.78 ± 0.65 µm to 22.99 ± 0.65 µm in breadth (Table 3). A terminal, lipped aperture is present. One edge of the collar has a smooth inward curve, forming a concave shape, while the other one is also turned inward, but in a more folded manner, creating a deep inward bend. In a lateral view, the sides narrow sharply toward the neck. The cytoplasm is colorless and occupies nearly the entire interior of the test.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCEFFCBFF40F692BA3F32DD.taxon	distribution	Distribution: The Species distribution list is in Table 7.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFCEFFCBFF40F692BA3F32DD.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Todorov & Bankov (2019) documented that the average test length of this species is 34.8 ± 1.9 µm from the Sphagnum moss habitat in Bulgaria, which varies slightly from the measurements observed in our study; however, the ratio of breadth to length of the test aligns with their research. Our observed test length deviates from the mean value reported by Chatelain et al. (2013) (31.8 ± 1.5 µm), but the shell-scale morphology and measurements are consistent with their study. This species is morphologically very similar to S. pseudominuta Chatelain, Meisterfeld, Roussel-Delif and Lara 2013. However, morphometric analysis of the shell plates shows that the observed species exhibits a more rounded and less elongated plate morphology, average length is 6.16 ± 0.75 µm, and an average width is 4.05 ± 0.82 µm; which clearly differentiates it from S. pseudominuta whose shellplate’s mean length is 9.3 ± 0.5 µm and mean width 6.2 ± 0.6 µm (Chatelain et al. 2013).	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFC8FFC5FF40F02CBCD136E2.taxon	materials_examined	Materials examined: 18 examples, water sediment samples, Nan Shnong Lake, Meghalaya, India, 25.27777 ° N, 91.70669 ° E. (Registration No. Pt. 6493, Pt. 6494 / 1).	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFC8FFC5FF40F02CBCD136E2.taxon	description	Description: The test is hyaline, oval, laterally compressed, and composed of siliceous scales (Fig. 4). Scales oval, slightly imbricate, especially along the test margins, imparting a tiled appearance under high magnification. The test measures approximately 38.4 ± 3.19 µm to 48.8 ± 3.19 µm in length and 24.12 ± 2.73 µm to 32.67 ± 2.73 µm in breadth (Table 5). The siliceous scales range in average from 7.01 ± 0.74 µm in length and 4.47 ± 0.53 µm in width (Table 6). These scales are arranged in an alternating pattern, forming seven to eight longitudinal and eight to nine transverse rows. Aperture terminal, slit shaped, with a straight distal edge and a very short neck. The neck surface bears numerous small siliceous scales. Nucleus ovoid.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFC8FFC5FF40F02CBCD136E2.taxon	distribution	Distribution: The Species distribution list is in Table 7.	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
067187ACFFC8FFC5FF40F02CBCD136E2.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Todorov and Bankov (2019) recorded test lengths ranging from 43 to 67 µm in specimens from Sphagnum moss habitats in Bulgaria. Compared to their findings, the minimum test length is approximately 10 % lower in our study. Literature review of this genus shows its worldwide distribution, with recorded occurrences in the temperate countries as well as tropical countries, and also recorded in poles, irrespective of the Arctic or Antarctica (Beyens & Chardez 1995; Mazei & Tsyganov 2007; Krashevska et al. 2007; Swindles et al. 2015; Kutluk & Mazei 2018; Bobrov et al. 2019). Currently, genus Sphenoderia accommodates 21 species, and the species-wise global distribution list is given in Table 7. It shows that the distribution of S. lenta is relatively wider than other species under this genus. Reports of S. minuta are relatively few, with scattered records globally, likely due to its diminutive size and morphological similarity to other Sphenoderia species. There are also limited records of S. labiata. It also reveals that genus Sphenoderia is largely recorded from the temperate countries. It predominantly inhabits peatlands, Sphagnumdominated microhabitats, acidic forest substrates, and areas rich in moisture and organic matter. Similarly, our specimens are recorded from the sediment samples of a freshwater body and tree moss samples from a conserved forest biotope with high moisture levels and rich in organic matter substratum. Notably, our study areas are in the Himalayan region of north-east India, which lies within Indo- Burma biodiversity hotspot zone (Myers et al. 2000) and Wanner et al. (2024) recorded S. chardezi Thomas & Gauthier-Lièvre, 1959 from the Himalayan region of Bhutan, which shares an international boundary with northeast India. Such occurrence may reflect similar ecological conditions and emphasize the necessity of more comprehensive biogeographical assessments. Our results also show that the specimens of S. labiata observed from Bulgaria (Todorov and Bankov 2019) are larger in size compared to the specimens recorded in this study. This differences in size may be attributed to the nutrient rich microhabitat of Bulgaria, whereas our specimens were recorded from the freshwater habitat. The size of S. lenta, and S. minuta observed in India were more or less similar with the observations documented from other regions (Chatelain et al. 2013; Todorov & Bankov 2019). Although, the morphometric analysis of the examined specimens in our study confirmed the presence of S. lenta, S. minuta and S. labiata in India, incorporating molecular approaches is crucial for higher accuracy and confirmation. Further taxonomic research, supported by detailed molecular studies, on this genus would help to explain the factors contributing to its morphological variations and other ecological affinities. ...... continued on the next page ...... continued on the next page ...... continued on the next page “ * ” refers to new record in India (Present study).	en	Purushothaman, Jasmine, Biswas, Srijani (2026): First record of Genus Sphenoderia Schlumberger, 1845 (Phylum Cercozoa: Euglyphida) from India. Zootaxa 5748 (4): 575-588, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5748.4.7
