Stipella vigilans Leger & Gauthier, 1932.

Valle, Laia Guardia & Stoianova, Desislava, 2020, First record of Harpellales, Orphellales (Kickxellomycotina) and Amoebidiales (Mesomycetozoea) from Bulgaria, including a new species of Glotzia, MycoKeys 67, pp. 55-80 : 55

Stipella vigilans Leger & Gauthier, 1932. Fig. 20

Specimens examined.

Site 4: slides BUL-4-3, BUL-4-11.

Notes.

Stipella vigilans was originally described from the French Alps in the hindgut of Simuliidae , together with the protozoan Paramoebidium sp. ( Léger and Gauthier 1932). This species was also reported from Spain ( Valle 2007), England ( Moss 1970), Armenia ( Nelder et al. 2005), Thailand ( Hapsari et al. 2009). The species is easily distinguished by the particular basal cell, simple or forked, verrucose and narrowing in the most basal section, attached to the hindgut by means of a mucilaginous adhesive substance (holdfast) (Fig. 20 ). The trichospores of S. vigilans are also very characteristic, almost cylindrical, measuring 35-50 × 3-4.5 µm in our collections, although probably somewhat young, they fit the original description, according to Léger and Gauthier (1932). We did not see released trichospores, since none of them was mature enough in our collections. Trichospores in this species bear three petaloid appendages, which are visible inside the generative cells before detachment.

Figures

Figures 17 - 20. Various species of Harpellales. 17 Smittium dipterorum from Chironomidae larvae; thallus overview with fertile branches and trichospores 18 Spartiella barbata from Baetidae nymphs, fertile branches with trichospores 19 Stachylina nana from Chironomidae larvae, thallus overview with trichospores 20 Stipella vigilans from Simuliidae larvae, thallus with mucilaginous material at the basal cell (arrow). Scale bars: 25 μm in all figures.