portrait

Description:

Mixotricha is a large devescovinid (300-500 µm) with four anterior flagella inserted below an anterior papilla. Three anteriorly directed flagella and one lateral flagellum not adherent to the cell body. The small and elongated nucleus is enclosed into the capitulum of the axostyle that forms a slender axostylar trunk to the posterior of the cell but not protruding. The cell surface, except the posterior end, is covered with regularly arranged rod-shaped bacteria and spirochetes. The cytoplasm contains about 500 dictyosomes supported by a parabasal fiber and food vacuoles with wood particles or bacteria. At the time of writing, only one species is known - M. paradoxa from Mastotermes darwiniensis from Australia. Cleveland and Grimstone (1964); Brugerolle (2004). Whole cell (phase contrast)