First records of marine microturbellarians (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela, Fecampiida and Prolecithophora) from Peru, with the description of a new species.

The marine microturbellarian diversity is scarcely known from the Pacific coastline of South America. The coastal margin of Peru is highly influenced by cold-water currents (Humboldt Current System). These cold-water currents play important roles in shaping the marine species diversity in this area. However, there are no previous records of marine microturbellarians for Peru. Here, we describe a new species of Rhabdocoela and report on five other species of marine microturbellarians for this country. Carcharodorhynchus giaae n. sp. (Kalyptorhynchia, Schizorhynchidae), can be identified based on the configuration of the proboscis lips and the male and female genital systems. The male copulatory organ lacks a cirrus, but has a funnel-like, curved stylet with three pairs of spines along it, which distinguishes this species from its congeners. The female system has a vagina with a sclerotized, heavily coiled structure - a feature not mentioned in any known species of the same genus. In addition, we describe noteworthy features for another rhabdocoel, Trigonostomum galapagoense (Dalytyphloplanida, Trigonostomidae). Finally, we provide new records for three rhabdocoel species (Alcha evelinae, Itaipusa divae, Utelga heinckei), one species of Fecampiida (Urastoma cyprinae), and an unidentified species of Prolecithophora.

Species composition and abundance of free-living turbellarians in three different wetlands in Southern Brazil.

Free-living turbellarians mostly live in marine and freshwater environments, but they have been little considered in ecological studies. The coastal plain in southern Brazil harbors a diverse fauna and flora, but only a few studies have related environmental factors to the abundance, richness, and distribution of turbellarians. Hence, we analyzed the structure of turbellarian communities in floating vegetation in three differently sized limnic environments. We aimed to determine differences in abundance, density, and richness of turbellarians among these habitats in relation to environmental factors. We found 1,225 turbellarians (34 species) distributed among 6 taxa. The most abundant was Tricladida with 49.4% relative abundance; the remaining (Catenulida, Dalytyphloplanida, Macrostomorpha, Kalyptorhynchia, and Prorhynchida) were less abundant. We found no significant differences among population parameters and environments. Small shallow lakes are a potentially rich environment, while water channels are the richest environment. Larger shallow lakes are not very diverse for turbellarians. Similarities regarding turbellarian communities among close limnic systems could be explained by the connectivity of bodies of water that presents similar aquatic macrophytes and hydrological subsystems, while larger shallow lakes have a different community because they have their own contributing basin and could be influenced by other factors.

Free-living Microturbellarians (Platyhelminthes) from Wetlands in Southern Brazil, with the Description of Three New Species.

The Taim strict nature reserve (ESEC Taim) is a protected wetland (Ramsar site) in southern Brazil. Although the ESEC Taim harbours a broad conspicuous flora and fauna, this area lacks studies on free-living Platyhelminthes. Here, we describe three new species to science, one belonging to Macrostomorpha (Macrostomum itai n. sp.) and two belonging to Dalytyphloplanoida (Gieysztoria duopunctata n. sp. and G. hermes n. sp.). Macrostomum itai n. sp. differs from their congeners for its distinct stylet in "J"-shaped. Gieysztoria duopunctata n. sp. is distinguishable based on the crown-like penis stylet, this species possesses 12-18 spines of similar sizes and two smaller spines (one a bit longer than the other). Gieysztoria hermes n. sp. clearly differs from its congeners owing to its fibrous girdle, which bears two groups of complexes of spines and three different-in-length ventral spines. Moreover, we identified twenty-three species, eleven belonging to Catenulida, three to Macrostomorpha, seven to Dalytyphloplanoida, one to Kalyptorhynchia, and one to Prorhynchida. We recorded three species for the first time in Brazil (Myostenostomum vanderlandi, Macrostomum quiritium and Strongylostoma elongatum). This new information on these free-living Platyhelminthes makes this protected area a more valuable and reinforces the actions that are being done to protect it.

First record of Stenostomum sphagnetorum (Platyhelminthes, Catenulida) from India.

Catenulida are mostly inhabitants of freshwater ecosystems, like ponds, streams, though the marine species are few (Larsson and Willems, 2010). About 110 species of catenulids are known worldwide, with most of the studies conducted in South America (Marcus, 1945a, 1945b; Noreña et al., 2005), North America (Kepner and Carter 1931; Nuttycombe and Waters, 1938) and Scandinavian Peninsula (Luther, 1960, Larsson and Willems, 2010; Larsson et al., 2008). The diversity of catenulids from India has not been studied intensively; however some reports on other turbellaria exists for the country (Annandale, 1912; Whitehouse, 1913; Kapadia, 1947; Basil and Fernando, 1975; Apte and Pitale, 2011; Kalita and Goswami, 2012; Venkataraman et al., 2015). The genus Stenostomum, however, has been studied extensively around the world with identification of over 60 species (Tyler et al., 2006-2016). This is first report of the genus from India. The present study was part of the project to catalogue the diversity of free living protozoan ciliates from the Hooghly stretch of the Ganga River during which the flatworms were found. The worms were studied based on the live observations, with recognition of characters which led to its identification. This study serves to fill knowledge gap in the freshwater flatworms from India.

Trying to take over the world: Potential distribution of Obama nungara (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae), the Neotropical land planarian that has reached Europe.

Obama nungara Carbayo, Álvarez-Presas, Jones, & Riutort, 2016 is a land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) native to southern South America, which has recently dispersed towards several countries of the European continent, thus becoming a threat to the native soil fauna. Its dispersion would be favoured by its wide food habit and its tendency to live linked to humans, being the plant trade its most plausible vector of dispersion. Here, we explored the potential distribution of O. nungara on a global scale by using the MaxEnt software. We used 144 records (encompassing 10 countries) from sampling campaigns, citizen science, recent literature, and material deposited in scientific collections. Our results showed that southern South America has favourable climatic conditions for O. nungara. MaxEnt also allowed predicting expansions to countries of Europe where this planarian is already established and to others not yet colonized, as well as to Asia (southern coast of the Caspian Sea, Taiwan, and south-east of mainland China) and Oceania (south-east of Australia and New Zealand). The potential distribution of O. nungara was mainly outlined by climatic factors related to temperature (annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, and annual temperature range). Thus, under a global warming scenario, a significant expansion of O. nungara relative to the current prediction is expected. This information may be useful to design strategies to prevent new introductions, since the dissemination of this planarian seems to be strongly man-linked.

Species of Macrostomum (Macrostomorpha: Macrostomidae) from the coastal region of Lima, Peru, with comments on M. rostratum Papi, 1951.

Species of Macrostomum are present in almost all regions of the world. These flatworms occur in different kinds of environments, from freshwater to marine ecosystems. Although Peru is considered one of the megadiverse countries in South America, little is known about freshwater microturbellarians in this country. Here we report the presence of M. rostratum Papi, 1951 for the first time in Peru, in a coastal brackish water wetland, and that of M. quiritium Beklemischev, 1951 and M. tuba Graff, 1882 in an inland portion of a river near the city of Lima. All the species were studied alive. Comments on the habitat and associated fauna are given. Detailed information on the copulatory system is provided for M. rostratum; the male system has a bilobed seminal vesicle with thick walls and full of spindle-shaped sperm cells, and a stylet in the form of a solid curved inverted cone with a subterminal opening located on the concave side of the stylet. These findings led us to suggest that M. rostratum may exhibit a hypodermic mating syndrome. The three species of Macrostomum reported here are widespread and, although the diagnostic characters of the species are present, some morphological differences in the copulatory stylet suggest they are cryptic species.

Increasing diversity of land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) in the Interior Atlantic Forest with the description of two new species and new records from Argentina.

Here, we describe two new species of land planarians of the genera Pasipha and Imbira from the Atlantic Forest of Argentina: Pasipha quirogai sp. nov. and Imbira negrita sp. nov. Their external features and internal anatomy distinguish them from their congeners. Pasipha quirogai sp. nov. is about 40mm long, characterized by brown beige dorsal pigmentation with a golden yellow median band and thin graphite black para-median stripes, cylindrical pharynx, extrabulbar prostatic vesicle with paired proximal portion, male atrium with small folds in its proximal part, and female canal opening into the dorso-caudal wall of the female atrium. Imbira negrita sp. nov. is about 110mm long, with jet black dorsal pigmentation, pharynx collar-type, short female canal opening in the postero-dorsal portion of the female atrium, and epithelial lining of female atrium with stratified appearance. We also provide exhaustive descriptions of Geoplana quagga, Obama ladislavii, and Paraba multicolor, all recorded for the first time in Argentina, by analysing anatomical features of taxonomic relevance. In addition, we improve the description of G. quagga, mainly regarding the musculature, secretory cells, and the copulatory apparatus.

Two new species of Syndesmis (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela, Umagillidae) from the sea urchin Pseudechinus magellanicus (Echinodermata, Echinoidea) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

In this paper, we describe two new species of Syndesmis living in Pseudechinus magellanicus in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. The new species have a long stylet in the male reproductive system, which is different from that of the known species of the genus. Specimens of Syndesmis selknami n. sp. have a ∼220-µm-long stylet (∼1/3 of the body length, 0.69 mm). This ratio is unique because only four species (Syndesmis echinorum, Syndesmis rubida, Syndesmis inconspicua and Syndesmis echiniacuti) have similar stylet lengths but are larger in body sizes (3-5 mm). Specimens of Syndesmis aonikenki n. sp. have a ∼148-µm-long stylet (∼1/10 of the body length, 1.11 mm). Syndesmis pallida has a similar ratio but the uterus is located posteriorly, and the filament glands are very small and located in the posterior region of the body. These are the first flatworms reported parasitizing Pseudechinus magellanicus.

Muscular pattern in three species of Macrostomum (platyhelminthes, macrostomorpha).

Previous studies demonstrated complex architecture of the muscular system of Macrostomum species, especially in the rostrum area and the pharynx. However, little is known about the differences in muscular pattern between species of the genus. This study examines and compares the muscular systems of specimens belonging to three freshwater Macrostomum species (M. quiritium, M. tuba and M. velastylum), labeled with phalloidin-rhodamine and studied by confocal microscopy. Our results agree with the previous descriptions, confirming that the muscular patterns for the body wall, rostrum area, pharynx and caudal region differ among species. The muscles of the body wall follow the typical architecture, but the number of fibers in the species analyzed varies between dorsal and ventral surfaces, ranging from 80 to 100 fibers, this record being higher than previous observations. The arrangement of the fibers in the rostrum is complex, especially in the brain area. Macrostomum tuba and M. quiritium have a set of two muscles crossing at brain level and forming an "X," which is not evident in M. velastylum. We identified five different sets of fibers associated to the pharynx and mouth at ventral, medium and deep levels. These different sets are present in all three species studied. The caudal plate in M. tuba has an additional layer of diagonal fibers in the body wall, which is not evident in the other two species. The muscles of the reproductive system are independent of the body wall musculature in the species analyzed, but connected to the intestinal wall by specific fibers that may serve as an anchor. J. Morphol. 278:264-282, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc.

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. Cratera viridimaculata sp. 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.

Land flatworms of the genus Pasipha (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) in Argentina, with description of three new species.

The genus Pasipha Ogren & Kawakatsu, 1990 currently includes 22 species, most of them recorded in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Recently, Pasipha hauseri was documented in north-eastern Argentina, thus extending its distribution range. This paper reports new records of the genus Pasipha in the Interior Atlantic Forest ecoregion in Argentina, with the description of three new species: Pasipha atla sp. nov., Pasipha johnsoni sp. nov., and Pasipha mbya sp. nov. These new species exhibit similarities in internal anatomy, such as pharynx cylindrical, extrabulbar prostatic vesicle with folded walls and proximally forked, male atrium highly folded, being at least two times longer than the female atrium and with small folds in their proximal portion. However, they can be distinguished from each other mainly by the secretion types discharged into the prostatic vesicle as well as into the male and female atria. In addition, they have different colour patterns on the dorsal surface.

A new species of Notogynaphallia (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) extends the known distribution of land planarians in Chacoan province (Chacoan subregion), South America.

BACKGROUND: The subfamily Geoplaninae (Geoplanidae) includes land planarian species of the Neotropical Region. In Argentina, the knowledge about land planarian diversity is still incipient, although this has recently increased mainly in the Atlantic Forest ecosystem. However, other regions like Chacoan forests remain virtually unexplored. RESULTS: In this paper, we describe a new species of the genus Notogynaphallia of the Chacoan subregion. This species is characterized by a black pigmentation on the dorsum and a dark grey ventral surface. The eyes with clear halos extend to the dorsal surface. The pharynx is cylindrical. The main features of the reproductive system involve testes anterior to the ovaries, prostatic vesicle intrabulbar (with a tubular proximal portion and a globose distal portion) opening broadly in a richly folded male atrium, common glandular ovovitelline duct and female genital canal dorso-anteriorly flexed constituting a "C",female atrium tubular proximally and widening distally. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the genus Notogynaphallia in Argentina (Chacoan subregion, Neotropical Region) which increases its geographic distribution in South America. Also, as a consequence of features observed in species of the genus, we propose an emendation of the generic diagnosis.

A new species of Supramontana Carbayo & Leal-Zanchet (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola, Geoplanidae) from the Interior Atlantic Forest.

Supramontana argentina sp. nov. (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola, Geoplanidae) from north-eastern Argentina is herein described. The new species differs from Supramontana irritata Carbayo & Leal-Zanchet, 2003 from Brazil, the only species of this genus so far described, by external and internal morphological characters. Supramontana argentina sp. nov. is characterized by having a colour pattern with a yellowish median band, thin para-median black stripes, and two dark grey lateral bands on the dorsal surface. The most outstanding features of the internal morphology are a ventral cephalic retractor muscle almost circular in cross section, prostatic vesicle extrabulbar, tubular and very long, and penis papilla conical and blunt with a sinuous ejaculatory duct.

Land planarian assemblages in protected areas of the interior atlantic forest: implications for conservation.

Land planarians are an interesting group of free-living flatworms that can be useful as bioindicators because of their high sensitivity to environmental changes and low dispersal capacity. In this study, we describe and compare assemblages of land planarians from areas with different conservation degrees of the Interior Atlantic Forest (Misiones, Argentina), and assess factors that could be related to their abundance and richness. Eight sites were tracked in search of land planarians in Reserva de Vida Silvestre Urugua-í (RVSU) and Campo Anexo Manuel Belgrano (CAMB). Diurnal and nocturnal surveys were performed in each site along nine sampling campaigns. We collected 237 individuals belonging to 18 species of the subfamily Geoplaninae. All sites were dominated by Geoplana sp. 1 and Pasipha hauseri. The richness estimators showed that there would be more species in RVSU than in CAMB. The abundance and richness of land planarians was high during the night and after rainfalls, suggesting an increased activity of flatworms under such conditions. The abundance and richness of land planarians were also related to the conservation condition of the sites. Disturbed sites showed less abundance and richness, and were segregated from non-disturbed ones by nmMDS analysis. Beta diversity between sites was higher than expected, indicating that the species turnover between sites contributed more to the total richness (gamma diversity) than the alpha diversity.

New Dalyelliidae (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora) from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and their stylet ultrastructure.

Two new species of Dalyellidae, Dalyellia callvucurai n. sp. and Gieysztoria namuncurai n. sp., are described from temporary freshwater environments in central Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The ultrastructure of the stylets of both species is also described. The new species of the genus Dalyellia is the second species of the genus found in the neotropics and the first whose stylet has been studied with scanning electron microscopy. Gieysztoria namuncurai n. sp. joins the seven species of the genus known in Argentina. The ultrastructural characteristics of the stylet place it in the Inaequales group, with complex stylets.

A new Paravortex (Platyhelminthes, Dalyellioida) endoparasite of Mesodesma mactroides (Bivalvia, Mesodesmatidae) from Uruguay.

Many species of turbellarians (Platyhelminthes) are known to live associated with other organisms, especially invertebrates, as commensals or parasites. The family Graffillidae (Rhabdocoela) includes two genera that parasitize mollusks, Graffílla and Paravortex. Within the latter genus, six species were described as associated with mollusks. In other instances, unnamed Paravortex species were mentioned as parasites of other bivalves and of the body surface of fishes. In the present work, a new Paravortex species that was found in the intestine of Mesodesma mactroides from the Atlantic coast of Uruguay is described. In addition, a bibliographical revision of the known Paravortex species with their respective hosts, location, and distribution is made. Paravortex nicolli, described by Szidat for the Argentinean coast, is mentioned for the first time after the original description, and the authorship and date of description of Paravortex tapetis Noury-Sraïri 1989 are elucidated.

New species of Gieysztoria (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from Peruvian Amazon floodplain with description of their stylet ultrastructure.

The free-living Platyhelminthes of the Amazon basin are poorly known. Presently only four turbellarian species have been mentioned from the Amazon river, a fact that confirms the lack of information on this kind of faunas in this huge basin. Three new species of Gieysztoria from Amazonian floodplain in Peru are described herein: G. chiqchi n. sp., G. kasasapa n. sp. and G. sasa n. sp. The samples were taken in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (Peru) during September 2002. Besides the usual description of the stylet based on whole mounted specimens, we provide a complementary description using SEM, which allowed differentiation of the new species within the currently yet imperfect picture of the Amazonian turbellarian fauna. Although further research is desired, current findings are suggestive of high diversity of free-living Turbellaria in the surveyed region.

First report of Temnocephala brevicornis Monticelli 1889 (Temnocephalidae: Platyhelminthes) in Argentina

Temnocephala brevicornis Monticelli 1889, ectosymbiont of Hydromedusa tectifera Cope 1869, is reported for the first time for Argentina. Numerous temnocephalans from Arroyo Villoldo in the locality of Magdalena, Buenos Aires, Argentina were stained in toto to be studied. This commensal species in turtles was originally cited in association with Hydromedusa maximiliani (Mikan) and Hydraspis radiolata Mikan in Brazil. Afterwards, it was found on other fresh water turtle species in Brazil and Uruguay.