Unveiling soil ciliate diversity: Taxonomy of two novel hypotrich ciliates (Alveolata: Ciliophora) from agricultural soil in Mathura, India Author Ghosh, Arnab Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, India. & Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700073, West Bengal, India. write2aghosh@gmail.com Author Bharti, Daizy Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, India. daizybharti83@gmail.com Author Terza, Antonietta La School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, I- 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy. antonietta.laterza@unicam.it Author Bhutiani, Rakesh Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri (deemed to be University), Haridwar, India. rbhutiani@gmail.com Author Pathania, Prakash Chand High Altitude Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Saproon 173211, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. pathaniapc@yahoo.co.in Author Kumar, Santosh Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053, India. santoshkumar@zsi.gov.in text European Journal of Taxonomy 2026 2026-04-02 1048 142 163 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/3239/14347 journal article 315141 10.5852/ejt.2026.1048.3239 9b7534f5-88e3-4fa3-8866-16ec4e9129fd 2118-9773 20056532 46C965B0-9A82-4EC9-901C-D9F733325315

Table 1 (continued).

Characteristica Mean	M	SD	SE	CV	Min	Max	n
transverse cirri, number 4.0	4.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.0	4.0	21
dorsal kineties, number 4.0	4.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.0	4.0	21
anterior body end to dorsal kinety 1, distance 9.0	9.0	1.3	0.3	14.2	7.0	11.0	21
dorsal kinety 1, number of bristles 9.5	9.0	1.2	0.3	12.6	8.0	13.0	18
anterior body end to dorsal kinety 2, distance 5.4	5.0	0.7	0.2	13.8	4.0	7.0	21
dorsal kinety 2, number of bristles 11.5	11.0	1.1	0.3	9.8	9.0	14.0	19
anterior body end to dorsal kinety 3, distance 5.1	5.0	1.2	0.3	24.4	3.0	8.0	20
dorsal kinety 3, number of bristles 11.6	12.0	1.4	0.3	12.0	9.0	14.0	18
dorsomarginal row, number of bristles 12.5	13.0	1.7	0.4	13.5	10.0	15.0	21
total dorsal bristles, number 45.2	45.0	2.64	0.6	5.9	41.0	50.0	18
a Data based on mounted, protargol-impregnated, and randomly selected specimens from a non-flooded Petri dish culture. Measurements in µm. Abbreviations: CV = coefficient of variation in %; M = median; Max = maximum; Mean = arithmetic mean; Min = minimum; n = number of individuals investigated; SD = standard deviation; SE = standard error of arithmetic mean.