Description of two ciliated protists from agricultural soils of India

The study describes two ciliated protists: Bakuella (Bakuella) granulifera Foissner et al., 2002, new record to Indian fauna, and a novel species, Microdileptus indica n. sp., collected from agricultural fields in Punjab, India. Microdileptus indica n. sp. is characterized by the presence of colourless cortical granules, 4-5 contractile vacuoles on the dorsal surface, two macronuclear nodules with one micronucleus in between, and two types of extrusomes—one slightly dumbbell-shaped and the other rod-shaped—both located in the proboscis and the body. Descriptions of the species based on observations of live cells and after protargol impregnation have been presented.