A new Chilean genus and species of land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida, Geoplaninae) with cephalic retractor muscle and adenodactyl

ABSTRACT

A new genus and species of land planarian, Pichidamas piru gen. nov. sp. nov., is described from Pichidamas, province of Osorno in Southern Chile. Pichidamas piru is a sub-cylindrical and slender Geoplaninae characterized by the presence of a creeping sole extending 50% of the body width, a cephalic retractor muscle, five parenchymatic muscle layers, a male atrium with proximal tongue-like fold and distal adenodactyl; and ovovitelline ducts approaching the copulatory apparatus anteroventrally. Details of the organization of the cephalic retractor muscle, the absence of sensory pits, the existence of a parenchymatic muscle layer, located to the inside of the ventral peripheral nervous plexus, and an adenodactyl in the distal portion of the male atrium are unique traits seemingly reflecting an earlier branch of Geoplaninae.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:04423258-DB01-4CE3-A474-EF6B563C605C

KEYWORDS:

• Planarians
• taxonomy
• microanatomy
• musculo-glandular organ
• South America

Acknowledgements

We kindly thank Dr Jorge Pérez-Schultheiss for collecting and donating the specimen to JHG, to Jutta Zeller (MFN Berlin) for the professional assistance with the histological procedures and to Dr Birger Neuhaus (MFN Berlin) for his collaboration for the preservation and loan of the histological slides. Ana Maria Leal Zanchet and anonymous referees are thanked for reviewing a previous version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by FAPESP [proc. 2016/18295-5]; INBIOSUR-CONICET-UNS [24B/244].