Microcorycia bryophila Decloitre, 1974

Diagnosis: “This species bears a slight remembrance to Microcorycia tessellata Penard. The differences are as follows: With tessellata, the base of the theca is provided with five plates having unequal sides, straight or curved. With bryophila, the base of the theca is constituted by several almost pentagonal plates. When seen from above, the theca of bryophila shows a well opened pseudostome, slightly eccentrically located, and an upper part of the theca has some irregular dark spots that look like strange foreign particles stuck onto the theca, covered with some small circles that are defined by a slightly dark line. On the other hand, the theca of bryophila is circular” (Decloitre, 1974).

Dimensions: Decloitre (1974): Diameter 40 µm, height 30 µm, pseudostome 12-15 µm.

Ecology: Aerophilous mosses (Decloitre 1974), Antarctic moss(?) (Sudzuki 1979). Europe: France (Decloitre 1974), the Antarctic (?) (Sudzuki 1979).

Remarks: “The genus description becomes more intelligible in connection with Decloitre’s drawing (Fig. 3) if the adverbial phrases “from above” [French dessus] and “from below” [French dessous] are interpreted as the opposites. Then Fig. 3a (Decloitre Fig. 1) shows the ventral view, Fig. 3b (Decloitre Fig. 2) shows the dorsal view. In dorsal view, the upper test part of M. bryophila shows evidently stiffening ribs as a characteristic in reticular arrangement. Thus M. bryophila is within the range of variation of M. tessellata (see below). The second feature Decloitre stated, the covering of the lower test part with “dark spots” and “some small circles” is in my opinion no specific characteristic; presumably this is a random feature. The only rediscovery so far, which Sudzuki (1979) reported from the Antarctic, is marked as questionable in a species list. His added microphotographs did not dispel doubts. M. bryophila is therefore withdrawn.”

(all quotes from Badewitz, 2004)