Nupela brevistriata sp. nov. – a new, terrestrial diatom species from Southeast Asia

Abstract

The genus Nupela Vyverman & Compère comprises 81 species, which have been reported from different continents. This study presents the morphological characteristics of Nupela brevistriata sp. nov. found in moss samples collected from soil and tree bark in Southeast Asia, on the islands of Palambak and Sumatra. Light and scanning electron microscope observations are presented and a formal description is offered for the new species. Nupela brevistriata sp. nov. is characterized by the valves having very short striae, capitate apices and a large central and axial area; it occurred rarely (<2%) in assemblages dominated by typically terrestrial species, such as members of Ferocia Van de Vijver & Houk, Angusticopula Houk, Klee & H. Tanaka, Luticola D.G. Mann, Humidophila Lowe et al. and Hantzschia Grunow.

Keywords:

• Bacillariophyceae
• Palambak
• Sumatra
• bryosphere
• Southeast Asia

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr Łukasz Skoczylas for collecting samples, and the tardigradologist team from Jagiellonian University especially Mr Witold Morek for sharing the material used in this present research. MK and AG were supported by Russian Science Foundation (19-14-00320) for morphological analysis and finishing manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Mateusz Rybak http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8998-9537

Maxim Kulikovskiy http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0999-9669