Abstract
The genus Diaphoropodon, Archer 1869, comprises filose amoebae with agglutinated tests made of quartz grains, diatom frustules and other particulate materials. The key trait of the genus is a hyaline theca covered with numerous 5- to 10-μm-long, hairlike rods. Based on SSU rDNA phylogeny, we show that Diaphoropodon groups closely to Lecythium, a testate amoeba genus with a flexible but naked theca. Electron microscopic images reveal that the rods of Diaphoropodon are not perforating the test but lie randomly distributed on the surface of the amoeba. Comparing fairly naked cells from our cultures with cells from the environment leads to the conclusion that these rods play a role in agglutinating the material on the test.
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