Vampyrella lateritia

Overview

Vampyrella lateritia is a freshwater amoeba that feeds on the contents of filamentous algae. Its mobile feeding stage is usually compact, often rounded, with long slender pseudopodia radiating from the cell. In the two strains examined by Hess and colleagues in 2012, young cells measure about 25–40 micrometres, while larger cells can reach about 70 micrometres. The central body is conspicuously orange, but the outer cytoplasm and pseudopodia are clear. Fine refractive granules move along those projections, sometimes briefly producing a pin-like appearance.

Feeding begins when the amoeba attaches to an algal cell and increases its contact area. After several minutes, the algal wall opens locally and much of its contents rapidly enters a food vacuole. Remaining material is collected with an ingestion pseudopodium. The investigators suggest that the alga’s internal pressure assists the rapid influx; that explanation is distinct from the observed opening and uptake. An amoeba can feed on several algal cells before entering its immobile digestive phase, and freshly ingested green material temporarily changes its appearance.

The digestive cyst has two envelopes. The outer one is delicate, while the inner one closely surrounds the cell before division. Studied cysts are often oval or elliptical, commonly 50–100 micrometres across, with smaller rounded examples also observed. As digestion proceeds, their contents change from green to orange-red. Daughter cells, usually four, develop inside; food remnants remain in the emptied envelope after they emerge. One strain also produces resting cysts with apparently four envelopes, but the study does not demonstrate their germination.

Food tests revise an overly narrow earlier picture. The cultured strains consume tested Spirogyra and Zygnema algae, rather than Spirogyra alone. Trials using two Oedogonium species fail, whereas the related Vampyrella pendula consumes tested Oedogonium and does not attack the offered zygnematalean algae. This is evidence for different preferences under the experimental conditions, not proof that every potential food has been tested. Single-cell-derived cultures help distinguish an actual organism’s behavior from mixed natural samples containing several similar amoebae.

Small-subunit ribosomal DNA supports a distinct Vampyrella lineage within the broader vampyrellid group. The 2012 study combines morphology and sequences rather than grouping all thread-bearing amoebae by superficial resemblance. Cells may fuse into larger plasmodia, particularly in old cultures with limited food, making size and shape variable. The authors retain the species identification by comparison with historical accounts and revise higher group boundaries. Their cultured strains provide research reference material, rather than a newly designated original species type.

Origins & earliest records

Hess, Sausen and Melkonian’s 2012 study establishes single-cell-derived co-cultures, comparing strains VL.01 and VL.02 with historical species descriptions and ribosomal sequences.

Evidence & interpretation

Light microscopy, cultured feeding observations and small-subunit ribosomal DNA distinguish the organism’s changing life stages and tested food preferences. Historical original diagnoses are discussed by the study rather than independently collated here.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Shedding Light on Vampires: The Phylogeny of Vampyrellid Amoebae Revisited

   Sebastian Hess, Nicole Sausen and Michael Melkonian · 2012

   PLOS ONE 7(2):e31165; complete relevant morphology, feeding, phylogeny, taxonomic discussion and culture/sequencing Methods. Original adaptation of the article’s Creative Commons Attribution license; source and authors credited.

Family, evolution & connections

Selected named vampyrellids in Hess, Sausen and Melkonian’s 2012 ribosomal tree

Six named terminals retained from Figure 1’s 81-sequence analysis. Environmental sequences, additional culture strains, other endomyxans and the filosan outgroup are pruned. The displayed split does not assert that these two sampled groups exclude intervening environmental lineages.

SSU rDNA: 1,640 aligned positions; RAxML maximum likelihood under GTR+I+Γ with 20 randomized starts. Neighbour-joining, parsimony and Bayesian analyses provide comparisons; each bootstrap analysis used 1,000 replicates. A single ribosomal locus and incomplete sampling limit this historical hypothesis. Leptophrys morphologically indistinguishable cultures include two sequence lineages; LV.03 represents only one. Support values are omitted rather than transferred onto newly collapsed nodes. Branch lengths, ages and direct ancestors are not inferred. The quoted Arachnula identification and accession remain those of the source.

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

1. GenusVampyrella
2. SpeciesVampyrella lateritia

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. ResearchHess et al. 2012 primary culture and phylogenetic studyResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Microscopy composite of Vampyrella lateritia feeding cells and digestive cyst stages, Hess, Sausen and Melkonian 2012 figure 2

The composite follows feeding cells, plasmodia and cyst stages through several microscopy methods. The dark-field panel N uses different illumination from the surrounding brightfield and differential-interference-contrast images; appearance and color therefore depend on both stage and imaging method.