Two new species of land flatworms and comments on the genus Pasipha Ogren & Kawakatsu, 1990 (Platyhelminthes: Continenticola)

Abstract

Two new species of Geoplaninae, Pasipha backesi Leal-Zanchet, Rossi & Seitenfus, sp. nov. and P. brevilineata Leal-Zanchet, Rossi & Alvarenga, sp. nov., from southern Brazil are described herein. The two new sympatric species can be distinguished from each other by differences in colour pattern and the copulatory apparatus, especially regarding the prostatic vesicle. They show similar characteristics regarding the relative position of the ovaries and anteriormost testes in relation to body length, the position where ovovitelline ducts emerge from the ovaries, pharyngeal morphology and general morphology of the copulatory apparatus. Comments on the most important morphological characters of the 22 species originally assigned to the genus Pasipha are presented in order to highlight the heterogeneity of the genus as well as facilitate the comparative discussion of the new species. In addition, based on the current diagnosis of the genus, we propose the placement of G. cafusa into Pasipha.

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

“…The genus Pasipha Ogren & Kawakatsu, 1990 encompasses 25 species, most of them known from southeast and southern Brazil (Carbayo et al 2013; Leal-Zanchet et al 2012; Amaral and Leal-Zanchet 2016; Negrete and Brusa 2016, 2017; Amaral et al 2018). Most species, including the type-species, Pasipha pasipha (Marcus, 1951), were described from areas of dense ombrophilous forest of the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil (Riester 1938; Marcus 1951; E.M. Froehlich 1955).…”

“…Most species, including the type-species, Pasipha pasipha (Marcus, 1951), were described from areas of dense ombrophilous forest of the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil (Riester 1938; Marcus 1951; E.M. Froehlich 1955). Other 10 species occur in areas of mixed ombrophilous forest and semi-deciduous or deciduous forests from southern Brazil and Argentina (Froehlich 1959; Leal-Zanchet et al 2012; Amaral and Leal-Zanchet 2016; Negrete and Brusa 2016; Amaral et al 2018), one of them also occurring in the Amazonian biome (Froehlich and Froehlich 1972). …”

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

“…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). …”

Redescoberta do material-tipo das espécies de planárias terrestres (Platyhelminthes) de Schirch e sua revisão taxonômica através de histologia e microtomografia computadorizada

“…Regarding the external aspect, Ps. plana distinguishes from all the congeners excepting Pasipha hauseri (Froehlich, 1959) and Pasipha backesi (Leal-Zanchet et al, 2012), in that only these species display a dichromatic pattern consisting of dark spots on a clear ground color and a thin median zone devoid of spots. However, they differ in the details, since the dorsum of Pa. hauseri is greyish-brown pigment on a light yellow ground on the dorsum.…”