Two new Geoplaninae species (Platyhelminthes: Continenticola) from Southern Brazil based on an integrative taxonomic approach

Seeing the true colours: three new species of Obama (Platyhelminthes:Continenticola) from remnants of Atlantic forest in southern Brazil based on an integrative approach

The genus Obama Carbayo, Álvarez-Presas, Olivares, Marques, Froehlich & Riutort, 2013 currently comprises 41 species, most of them from Brazilian rainforests. This study describes three new species, viz. Obama autumna sp. nov., Obama leticiae sp. nov. and Obama aureolineata sp. nov., from remnants of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in southern Brazil, based on an integrative approach and analyses their relationships within the genus. Obama autumna and O. aureolineata show distinctive colour patterns, contrasting yellow and black, which is unusual in species of the genus. The three species can be easily distinguished from their congeners by their external features and a combination of anatomical characteristics, such as the pharyngeal shape, shape and arrangement of the prostatic vesicle and anatomy of the penis papilla. The morphological hypotheses are corroborated by three species delimitation methods (ABGD, PTP and GMYC) and by phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene using maximum likelihood estimation and Bayesian inference. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analyses point out that Obama may be subdivided into three main clades, containing a variable number of well supported groups, the relationships of which remain unresolved. Obama autumna belongs to a distinct clade in relation to O. aureolineata and O. leticiae. Obama aureolineata belongs to one of the well supported groups, having a close relationship with O. apeva. Obama autumna may be more closely related to O. anthropophila and O. decidualis and O. leticiae to O. braunsi. However, the low nodal support does not allow the phylogenetic relationships of these species to be clearly established. We discuss morphological knowledge gaps in Obama, as well as issues regarding analyses based on molecular markers, which should be addressed to clarify relationships within the genus. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9EE7316D-F0BE-49EC-BBFD-5687952D6592

Five new pseudocryptic land planarian species of Cratera (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) unveiled through integrative taxonomy

Background

Cratera is a genus of land planarians endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic forest. The species of this genus are distinguished from each other by a series of external and internal characters, nonetheless they represent a challenging taxonomic issue due to the extreme alikeness of the species analysed in the present work. To resolve these difficulties, we have performed morphological analyses and used three nuclear markers (ribosomal 18S and 28S, Elongation Factor, a new anonymous marker named Tnuc813) and two mitochondrial fragments (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, and a fragment encompasing NADH deshydrogenase subunit 4 gene, trnF and the beginning of the Cytochrome c oxidase I gene) in an integrative taxonomic study.

Methods

To unveil cryptic species, we applied a molecular species delimitation approach based on molecular discovery methods, followed by a validation method. The putative species so delimited were then validated on the basis of diagnostic morphological features.

Results

We discovered and described four new species, namely Cratera assu, C. tui, C. boja, and C. imbiri. A fifth new species, C. paraitinga was not highly supported by molecular evidence, but was described because its morphological attributes are unique. Our study documents for the genus Cratera the presence of a number of highly similar species, a situation that is present also in other genera of land planarians. The high number of poorly differentiated and presumably recent speciation events might be explained by the recent geological history of the area.

Far away, so close! Integrative taxonomy reveals a new genus and species of land flatworm (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) from southern South America

Land flatworms usually show low ability to disperse and high endemicity, displaying many singletons in studies on land planarian assemblages. Thus, many species have been described based on specimens sampled in a single locality and/or on a few specimens. Based on phylogenetic analyses of concatenated COI and 18S rRNA genes and morphological analyses, a new genus and species of geoplaninid land planarian is described from central–east Argentina and southern Brazil. Winsoria gen. nov. shows, among its most outstanding features, a ventral cephalic retractor muscle and a subneural muscle layer that extends throughout the anterior region of the body. In addition, characters of the reproductive system and the phylogenetic analyses support the erection of this new genus. According to molecular phylogenies,Winsoria bipatria sp. nov. is closely related to species of Luteostriata, Supramontana and Issoca, taxa that also possess a cephalic retractor muscle. Despite its disjunct distribution, phylogenetic analyses, genetic divergence and morphological features show that the allopatric populations studied herein belong to a single species. We argue that the occurrence of W. bipatria in localities separated by hundreds of kilometres and a geographical barrier should be explained by passive dispersal.

Why be original? Two new species of Choeradoplana resembling the type species of the genus in their external aspects (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola)

The genus Choeradoplana Graff, 1896 encompasses 16 species, most of them found in Brazil. Herein two new species of this genus are described from remnants of Araucaria moist forests, located in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, south Brazil. Both species resemble the type-species of the genus, C.iheringi, showing brownish dorsal surface covered by dark-brown flecks. However, regarding their anatomy, the new species differ from C.iheringi and other congeners by a long and horizontal disposed permanent papilla. In such aspects, both species resemble C.benyai, but differ from this species, as well as from each other, in details of the prostatic vesicle, ejaculatory duct, and penis papilla.

Coming out in a harsh environment: a new genus and species for a land flatworm (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) occurring in a ferruginous cave from the Brazilian savanna

Faunal inventories in ferruginous caves from an area belonging to the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado phytophysiognomy), on the eastern margin of the Serra do Espinhaço Plateau, in southeastern Brazil, have revealed the occurrence of land flatworms. Herein, a flatworm sampled in such subterranean environment is described as a new genus and species of the Neotropical subfamily Geoplaninae, Difroehlichia elenae gen. nov., sp. nov. The new genus shows rare features within Geoplaninae, namely sub-cylindrical body, poorly developed sub-epidermal musculature and a narrow creeping sole. Some features, such as a small body and a broad sensory margin in the anterior region of the body, as well as the fact that the holotype showed signs of recent copula, may indicate an adaptation to the subterranean environment, probably representing a troglophile. Difroehlichia elenae is characterized by an almost homogeneous dark brown pigmentation over dorsal surface and body margins, a short cylindrical pharynx, and a tubular and unforked intrabulbar prostatic vesicle, among other features. The holotype shows a secondary male copulatory organ located immediately behind the primary one, both communicating with the female atrium and gonopore canal. Since the species seems to have low abundance and restricted distribution and its type-locality is affected by mining activities, major concern arises regarding its conservation.

Searching for shelter in a ferruginous cave? A new species of Pasipha from a plateau in the Brazilian savanna (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)

In a fauna survey in the eastern margin of Serra do Espinhaço Plateau, in an area belonging to the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado phytophysiognomy), a land flatworm was sampled in a ferruginous cave. Anatomical and histological analyses indicated that it belongs to a new species of the genus Pasipha, which is herein described. The new species shows an almost homogenous dark brown dorsal pigmentation, eyes spreading over the dorsal surface, a collar-shaped pharynx, and a prostatic vesicle with two portions separated by a canal. It differs from similar species mainly by anatomical and histological details of the ejaculatory duct, as well as male and female atria. The flatworm shows no troglomorphic traits and was collected once in the entrance zone of the cave. Hence, despite representing the first land flatworm species described from a Neotropical cave, we consider that its occurrence in the cave is probably occasional, using it as a shelter.

Three new species of Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 from Araucaria forests with a key to species of the genus (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola)

Areas of Araucaria moist forest have been considered to constitute hotspots of land flatworm diversity, harbouring a high number of undescribed species. Herein we describe three new species of land flatworms of CrateraCarbayo et al., 2013 occurring in such type of forest in south Brazil. The three species are differentiated from their congeners mainly by their colour pattern, anatomy of the pharynx and prostatic vesicle, and details of the penis papilla and male atrium. An identification key to species of the genus in the Neotropical region is provided.

First report of the genus Cratera (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) in Argentina, with description of a new species and comments on the species of the genus

A new species of land planarians of the genus Cratera is described. Crateraviridimaculatasp. n. was recorded in the Atlantic Forest Ecoregion, in north-eastern Argentina, and represents the first report of the genus Cratera outside Brazil. The new species is about 50 mm in length and externally characterized by a color pattern consisting of a light green olive pigmentation on the dorsum, stippled with dark gray fine spots, and dorsal eyes. Other features regarding the internal anatomy are the presence of a glandular margin,

Cutaneous Muscular Index

(CMI) of 10–13%, pharynx cylindrical, prostatic vesicle extrabulbar, tubular and C-shaped, with a proximal bifurcated portion, penis papilla protrusible with ejaculatory duct widened in its distal portion, and female atrium funnel-shaped. The new species is compared and discussed with its congeners.