ABSTRACT Physiological reorganization is described for the first time for the hypotrich ciliate genus Apoamphisiella Foissner, 1997, based on a population of A. vernalis (Stokes, 1887) Berger, 2006 collected from an eutrophic pond in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Stomatogenesis is epiapokinetal, and the cirral pattern reorganizes from six typical fronto-ventral-transverse primordia, plus at least one short primordium located between IV and V. Primordia I and II originate from disaggregating undulating membranes and buccal cirrus, respectively; primordium III originates from left frontoventral cirrus plus a streak of basal bodies extending from the anterior end of oral primordium; primordium IV and the short extra primordia are formed from basal bodies perhaps associated to the posterior end of III plus the disaggregation of anteriormost cirri of the left ventral row. Primordia V and VI arise within the right ventral row as a single streak, splitting to form the two primordia. Marginal primordia develop initially within the pre-existent marginal rows, continuing to reorganize outside, pushing the old marginal cirri leftwards. Two dorsomarginal kineties develop associated to the right marginal row primordium. Dorsal ciliature also reorganizes from within the pre-existent dorsal kineties. The two macronuclear nodules approach each in middle reorganizers, briefly touching each other. At least one micronucleus undergo division. The process of physiological reorganization in A. vernalis resembles that of the North American Paraurostyla weissei complex representative, and along with features of the interphase morphology, indicate that Apoamphisiella belongs or is related to the Cyrtohymena-Paraurostyla group, within the Dorsomarginalia.

In samples of raw sewage collected from a sewage treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro (ETE-Penha), we found populations of two species, Deviata estevesi Paiva & Silva-Neto, 2005 and Deviata brasiliensis sp. nov. The organisms were studied in vivo under phase contrast microscopy, differential interference contrast (DIC), and after protargol-impregnation. The population of D. estevesi exhibited more extensive variation in cirral pattern than previously described. The interphasic organisms of new species D. brasiliensis sp. nov. are distinguishable from their congeners based on a series of morphometric features: cirral row R3 usually presents 1-3 cirri behind the right frontal cirrus, on average there are four macronuclear nodules, and, during morphogenesis of cell division, primordium V of the proter originates from the anterior region of cirral row R5 instead of row R6, as in the type species D. abbrevescens Eigner, 1995. In D. estevesi, the ventral cirral rows replicate by within-row primordia, which develop independently for the proter and for the opisthe, suggesting that it belongs to or is closely related to Parastrongylidium, hence the combination P. estevesi comb. nov. is established.