Endemic and exotic land planarians in the United States : with a discussion of necessary changes of names in the Rhynchodemidae. American Museum novitates ; no. 1241
Supplemental Materials
Date
1943
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
New York City : The American Museum of Natural History
DOI
DOI
Abstract
"Three exotic land planarians have established themselves out of doors in California and are reproducing sexually. These are Geoplana mexicana Hyman, 1939, G. vaga, new species, and Bipalium adventitium, new species. The sexual anatomy of all three species is herein described. 2. In addition, various other exotic land planarians have been found in greenhouses in the United States. The most common ones are Dolichoplana striata and Bipalium kewense. The latter is also established out of doors in Louisiana and southern Florida. 3. The anatomy of the North American endemic land planarian, Rhynchodemus sylvaticus Leidy, 1851, is described for the first time, and it is shown that this species has the anatomy of the genus Desmorhynchus Heinzel, 1929. As R. sylvaticus is the type of the genus Rhynchodemus, Desmorhynchus becomes a synonym of Rhynchodemus. This necessitates changes in the subfamily names of the Rhynchodemidae. Dolichoplaninae is proposed in place of Desmorhynchinae Heinzel and Geodesminae in place of Rhynchodeminae Heinzel. Geodesmus Mecznikow, 1866, is the next available name for species previously put in the genus Rhynchodemus which do not agree with R. sylvaticus in general anatomy. 4. Three other endemic North American land planarians are described: Rhynchodemus americanus, new species, Geodesmus atrocyaneus (Walton), 1912, and Diporodemus indigenus, new species. The first closely resembles R. sylvaticus in general appearance and sexual anatomy. Of the second, not again recorded since the original description, a number of specimens were taken in the central states. Unfortunately no sexually mature specimen has been found. The third species occurs throughout the Appalachian region in humid habitats and is a very interesting form with several peculiarities of the sexual complex"--P. 20.
Description
21 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 21).
Includes bibliographical references (p. 21).
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