[ref. ID; 2014]
Solitary. Inverted bell-shaped zooid mounted upon a very short non-contractile stalk. The peristome bears a definite lip. Animals usually epizooic on freshwater invertebrates, particularly crustacea, insects and worms. Stiller (1971) regards the genus to be synonymous with Epistylis which is colonial. Most easily confused with Apiosoma which is restricted to being epizooic on vertebrates (fishes and amphibia) while Rhabdostyla is found only on invertebrates.
Quote; Colin R. Curds, Michael A. Gates and David McL. Roberts "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora" Cambridge University Press, 1983 (ref. ID; 2014)

[ref. ID; 1555]
Type species; Rhabdostyla fromenteli Kent, 1880 (ref. ID; 1555)

• Rhabdostyla arenaria Cuenot, 1891 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla arenicolae Fabre-Dom, 1888 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla bosminae Levander, 1907 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla brebipes Claparede & Lachmann, 1857 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla chaeticola Stokes, 1887
  See; Rhabdostyla inclinans (ref. ID; 1620, 4610)
• Rhabdostyla chironomi Kahl, 1933 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla commensalis Mobius, 1888 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla congregata Zacharias, 1903 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla conipes (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla cyclopsis (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla dubia Foissner (ref. ID; 3698) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1114)
• Rhabdostyla ephemerae (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla fromenteli Kent, 1880 (ref. ID; 1555, 1620)
  Syn; Scyphydia rugosa Fromentel, 1876 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla hungarica Stiller, 1931 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla inclinans (O. F. Muller, 1786) D'Udekem, 1864 (ref. ID; 1620, 1629) or (O. F. Muller, 1773) Roux, 1901 (ref. ID; 4610)
  Syn; Rhabdostyla chaeticola Stokes, 1887 (ref. ID; 4610) reported year? (ref. ID; 1620); Rhabdostyla lumbriculi Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 4610); Scyphydia inclinansKent, 1882 (ref. ID; 1620); Vorticella inclinans O. F. Muller, 1773 (ref. ID; 4610)
• Rhabdostyla invaginata Stokes, 1886 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla libera Kahl, 1933 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla limnophili (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla lumbriculi Penard, 1922
  See; Rhabdostyla inclinans (ref. ID; 4610)
• Rhabdostyla muscorum Kahl, 1935 (ref. ID; 1620)
  See; Opercularia coarctata (ref. ID; 1113)
• Rhabdostyla nebulifera Fromentel, 1874 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla ovum Kent, 1881 (ref. ID; 4613) or 1882 (ref. ID; 1335, 1620) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 3292)
  See; Epistylis pygmaeum (ref. ID; 4613), Rhabdostyla pyriformis Perty, 1852 (ref. ID; 1335, 1620)
• Rhabdostyla patula Perty, 1852 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla porculus Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla pyriformis Perty, 1852 (ref. ID; 1620) reported year? (ref. ID; 1219)
  Syn; Rhabdostyla ovum Kent, 1882 (ref. ID; 1335, 1620)
• Rhabdostyla ringems Fromentel, O. F. Muller, 1786 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla sessilis Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla spharoides Fromentel, 1874 (ref. ID; 1620)
• Rhabdostyla thienemanni (ref. ID; 4610)
• Rhabdostyla vernalis Stokes, 1887 (ref. ID; 1308, 1620) reported year? (ref. ID; 1618)