Addition of Two Species of Testate Amoebae (Phylum Tubulinea and Cercozoa) to Indian Fauna
Bindu. L *
Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode-673006, India.
V. M. Sathish Kumar
Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Patna, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Testate amoebae belong to the single celled organisms classified under protist fauna characterized by developing complex covering of outer chitin shells; they are renowned as bio indicators owing to their high reactivity to any change in the environment. This communication reports 2 new additions of moss inhabitant micro fauna to Indian testate fauna viz., Arcella costata Ehrenberg, 1847 and Trinema lenticularis Siemensma et Lucow, 2025, from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala.
Keywords: Testate amoebae, protozoa, moss, wayanad wildlife sanctuary, pollution indicator