3 NEW SPECIES OF ROTIFEROPHTHORA ATTACKING BDELLOID ROTIFERS IN JAPAN

Three new species of Rotiferophthora (R. minutispora, R. amamiensis an d R. lacrima) were isolated from samples of soil, rabbit dung and farm land waste in Japan. All species infected bdelloid rotifers and produc ed dictyochlamydospores in addition to conidia, but their modes of con idiogenesis differed. R. minutispora had small spherical conidia and l ong tapered conidiogenous cells which formed in verticils around the c onidiophores; R. amamiensis had ovoid conidia produced from flask-shap ed conidiogenous cells and aphanophialides, and R. lacrima produced lo ng tear-shaped conidia enveloped in a mucoid sheath from short conidio genous cells produced in a Drechmeria-like formation. A summary table of all known species of Rotiferophthora is shown.