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

Abstract

The genera Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 and Obama Carbayo et al., 2013, belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae, were recently proposed to encompass some of the species that belonged to the genus Geoplana Stimpson, 1857. Herein we describe two new species of Geoplaninae, occurring in areas of ombrophilous forest which belong to the southern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. The species are sympatric in their type-locality. In general, both new species herein described match the diagnostic characteristics of their genera. However, some of these features are noteworthy when characters of the new species are taken into consideration, especially the pattern of the sensory pits and the morphology of the prostatic vesicle. Both species are differentiated from their congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics, corroborated by phylogenetic analyses of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference, as well as the Automatic Barcode Gap tool.

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

“…By showing dorsal eyes and a cylindrical pharynx, the three species herein described share superficial similarities with four other species of Cratera : Cratera joia (Froehlich, 1956), Cratera anamariae Carbayo, 2015, Cratera ochra Rossi et al, 2015 and Cratera viridimaculata Negrete & Brusa, 2016 (Froehlich 1956, Carbayo and Almeida 2015, Rossi et al 2015, Negrete and Brusa 2016), to which they are comparatively discussed.…”

“…Specimens were then killed with boiling water and fixed in neutral formalin 10% and subsequently maintained in 70% ethyl alcohol. Methods described by Rossi et al (2015) were used for histological processing of material and analysis of external and internal characters. The material was sectioned at intervals of 6 µm and stained with Masson’s trichrome method or haematoxylin and eosin (Romeis 1989).…”

“…Among the phytophysiognomies which constitute the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the mixed ombrophilous forest ( Araucaria moist forest) has been considered to constitute hotspots of land flatworm diversity, harbouring many yet undescribed species (Leal-Zanchet and Baptista 2009, Leal-Zanchet et al 2011). Most flatworm species described from the Araucaria moist forest occur in areas from its southern portion (Lemos and Leal-Zanchet 2008, Amaral et al 2012, Leal-Zanchet et al 2012, Lemos et al 2014, Rossi et al 2014, 2015). …”

“…Among them, the genus Cratera Carbayo, Álvarez-Presas, Olivares, Marques, Froehlich & Riutort, 2013 was proposed for five species occurring in areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Recently, another five species were described (Rossi et al 2014, 2015; Carbayo and Almeida 2015; Negrete and Brusa 2016). Herein three new species are described, occurring in areas covered by Araucaria moist forest in south Brazil and a taxonomic key provided for species of Cratera .…”

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

“…The preserved specimen was analysed regarding colour pattern, body shape, and dimensions and then photographed under a stereomicroscope. Methods described by Rossi et al (2015) were used for histological processing of the material and analysis of external and internal characters. The material was sectioned at intervals of 6 µm and stained with Goldner’s Masson or Haematoxylin and Eosin.…”