Simonsenia delognei is a diatom species which is relatively rarely recorded, but apparently widespread in Europe and other continents. This taxon has recently been discovered for the first time in springs of Central Poland, where it was found to occur abundantly. Somewhat later this species has also been identified and photographed in samples from the Eagean Region in Turkey. Light and electron microscopic studies were carried out on S. delognei populations from the Quaternary spring located near Łódź (Central Poland) and from the Porsuk and Felent Rivers and a spring in the Türkmen Mountains in Kütahya and Havuzdere Stream in Yalova (NW Turkey). Morphological studies were accompanied by environmental measurements and determination of changes in the seasonal distribution of S. delognei in a key area, i.e. the Porzeczkowe spring in Central Poland, which are included in the present study. Identification of S. delognei under a light microscope is difficult and hence an electron microscope is required for accurate taxonomic identification.
Light and electron microscopic observations of the diatom flora from the Polistovo-Lovatsky Sphagnum bogs (Russia, Novgorod region) revealed the occurrence of an unknown species comparable to Navicula thurstonensis Kaczmarska, a taxon described from Hawaii. Nupela matrioschka is described here as a species new to science, based on its valve morphology typical for the genus Nupela Vyverman & Compere. The major features conforming to Nupela are the ultrastructure of the raphe system and areolae. We propose formal transfer of Navicula thurstonensis to Nupela as N. thurstonensis (Kaczmarska) Kulikovskiy, Lange-Bertalot & Witkowski comb. nov. Both species are compared to similar taxa belonging to Nupela described from temperate climate zones. Also proposed is transfer of Achnanthes gracillima Hustedt to Nupela. Since the epithet gracillima is not available due to the priority of Nupela gracillima (Hustedt) Lange-Bertalot 1993, we propose as a necessary new name Nupela neogracillima (Hustedt) Kulikowskiy & Lange-Bertalot comb. nov., nom. Nov.