RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Kaur, Harpreet A1 Shashi A1 Warren, Alan A1 Negi, Ram Krishan A1 Kamra, KomalYR 2020 T1 Taxonomic resolution of Stylonychia notophora (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Hypotricha) sensu Sapra and Dass 1970 using an integrative approach JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 70 IS 6 SP 3939 OP 3952 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004207 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB The spirotrichean ciliate Stylonychia notophora has previously been recorded in India although the descriptions are lacking in detail. It has been suggested several times that the Indian population, S. notophora sensu Sapra and Dass, 1970 collected along the Delhi stretch of the River Yamuna, is identical to Tetmemena pustulata, but this has never been confirmed due to insufficient data for the former. The present study includes detailed descriptions (classical and molecular) of populations of Tetmemena isolated from six locations along the River Yamuna, India. These include four from the Delhi stretch including that from which Sapra and Dass, 1970 isolated their population of S. notophora. Due to the lack of a sufficiently detailed description, the taxonomic status of S. notophora sensu Sapra and Dass, 1970 was not clear. Comparisons among the populations isolated in the present study with previous descriptions of T. pustulata and S. notophora sensu Sapra and Dass, 1970 show only minor differences in morphometry, morphogenesis and in 18S rDNA sequences. The 18S rDNA sequences of all six populations had 99% similarity to both T. pustulata and S. notophora. These findings support the contention that S. notophora sensu Sapra and Dass, 1970 was misidentified and is a population of T. pustulata. This study supports the need for adopting an integrative approach based on morphological, morphogenetic and molecular data in order to understand species delimitation in ciliated protists., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.004207