TROPICAL PROTOZOAN DIVERSITY - 80 CILIATE SPECIES (PROTOZOA, CILIOPHORA) IN A SOIL SAMPLE FROM A TROPICAL DRY FOREST OF COSTA-RICA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF 4 NEW GENERA AND 7 NEW SPECIES

80 ciliate species were found in a soil sample from a tropical dry forest of Costa Rica, Central America. Based on literature data, it is assumed that this site contains 200-300 species, i.e. three times more than commonly found in forest soils of Central Europe. Seven new species were discovered: Dileptus costaricanus nov. spec., D. similis nov, spec., Pedohymena australiense nov. gen., nov. spec., Condylostoma terricola nov. spec., Bicoronella costaricana nov. gen., nov. spec., Australothrix steineri nov. spec., and Cyrtohymena australis nov. spec. Their morphology and infraciliature were studied in live cells and in specimens: impregnated with various silver methods. The following species, which were insufficiently known, are redescribed: Paracineta lauterborni, Pseudovorticella sphagni, Cyclidium muscicola, Colpodidium caudatum, Dapedophrya flexilis nov. gen., nov. comb., and Mykophagophrys terricola nov. gen., nov. comb. The genera Colpodidium and Pedohymena are united in a new family, Colpodidiidae nov, fam., which belongs to the order Nassulida and is characterized by a deep buccal cavity near mid-body containing one complete and two more or less distinctly reduced adoral organelles. Pseudokeronopsis ignea is transferred to the genus Uroleptopsis KAHL: Uroleptopsis ignea (MIHAILOWITSCH and WILBERT, 1990) nov comb. Sixty-one ciliate species Which are new for the; fauna of Costa Rica are listed in the faunistic section.