RESUMEN

In 2016, the type-material of ten of the 15 Brazilian land planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplanidae) described by Schirch (1929) was discovered deposited in the Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). Schirch only described the external morphology of these species, all originally placed in the genus Geoplana. By the 1930s and 1950s Geoplana itatiayana, G. plana, and G. rezendei underwent taxonomic revision based on the study of non-type specimens. The remaining 12 species also underwent a taxonomic revision but only based on the literature. Current names of these species are Geoplana goettei, Pseudogeoplana arpi, Ps. blaseri, Ps. bonita, Ps. bresslaui, Ps. cardosi, Ps. doederleini, Ps. lumbricoides, Ps. obscura, Ps. riedeli, Ps. theresopolitana, and Ps. wetzeli. The species Geoplana maximiliani sensu Schirch (1929) was renamed as Ps. schirchi Ogren & Kawakatsu, 1990. The present study reports a taxonomic revision of seven of Schirch's species using type material, namely Obama itatiayana, Pasipha plana, Pseudogeoplana arpi, Ps. bresslaui, Ps. doederleini, Ps. schirchi and Ps. wetzeli. Additional specimens of some of these species were also examined. Morphological data from histological preparations and from virtual sections were obtained through a non-destructive technique of X-ray computed microtomography (µCT). This approach resulted in the preservation of the entire body of at least one type-specimen of each species, and the holotype of Ps. bresslaui. Conspecificity of O. itatiayana and P. plana was confirmed, as previously reported in the literature. It is also proposed that Ps. bresslaui belongs to the genus Paraba, while the other species should remain in Pseudogeoplana, since type-specimens are either immature, poorly preserved or simply lost.

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The genus Girardia Ball, 1974 houses freshwater planarian species and is the second after Dugesia Girard, 1850 within Dugesiidae regarding the number of species. It contains 45 species (Tyler et al. 2006-2019) including three recently described: one from China-Girardia sinensis Chen Wang 2015 (Chen et al. 2015), and two cave-dwelling planarians from Brasil-Girardia desiderensis Souza Leal-Zanchet 2016 and Girardia pierremartini Souza Leal-Zanchet 2016 (Souza et al. 2016).

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The Areias System, situated in the Atlantic Forest, is considered a hotspot of troglobitic diversity in Brazil. Herein we describe two new sympatric, troglobitic species of Girardia occurring in this system. Both species show minute eyes; one of them has a whitish body, and the other scattered, fine pigmentation over the dorsal surface. Regarding the copulatory apparatus, one of the species shows a bulbar cavity with multiple diverticula and a bursal canal of the angled type, whereas the other has a single, ovoid bulbar cavity and a smoothly curved bursal canal, among other distinguishing features. Thus, each species can be differentiated by a unique combination of features in its external morphology and copulatory apparatus. Both present a restricted distribution, occurring in a group of pools in travertine rock formed by water from the epikarst. The morphological features of both species and this sampling location indicate that both species are stygobionts.

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The genus Obama Carbayo et al., 2013 includes 38 species, being the most species-rich within Geoplaninae. Species of this genus show a similar anatomy regarding their copulatory apparatus, which may hinder species differentiation. In this study, we describe two new species, presenting a marbled colour pattern, found in two different phytophysionomies of the Atlantic Forest, namely Semi-deciduous Forest and Araucaria Forest. Both species can be distinguished from their congeners, as well from each other, by colour pattern and eye arrangement combined with characteristics of the pharynx, penis papilla and prostatic vesicle, confirmed by molecular analyses from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Phylogenetic analyses suggest that both species herein studied are closely related to another species that occurs in areas of Araucaria Forest (O. maculipunctata). Results also indicate the need to use at least 600 bp of the gene COI in the definitions of interspecific divergences and for species delineation, at least for the genus Obama.

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Land planarians have a simple anatomy and simple behavioral repertoire in relation to most bilaterian animals, which makes them adequate for the study of biological processes. In this study, we investigate the behavior of land planarians during interaction events with other invertebrates found in the same environment. We observed 16 different behavioral units, including seven different capture behaviors and three different prey ingestion behaviors. The capture behavior varied from very simple, such as simply covering the prey with the body, to more complex ones, including two forms of tube formation that are described for the first time. In general, the capture behaviors were similar among different predators but different for different prey. Similarly, prey ingestion type was more related to prey type than to predator species, with small soft prey being swallowed without fragmentation, large prey being crushed, and prey with a hard skeleton being perforated. Considering that land planarians face limitations due to their lack of efficient ways to retain water, thus being highly dependent on a moist environment, the set of behaviors shown by them in this study was considerably rich, especially concerning strategies to capture prey.

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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.

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Areas of Araucaria moist forest have been considered to constitute hotspots of land flatworm diversity, harbouring a high number of undescribed species. Herein we describe three new species of land flatworms of Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 occurring in such type of forest in south Brazil. The three species are differentiated from their congeners mainly by their colour pattern, anatomy of the pharynx and prostatic vesicle, and details of the penis papilla and male atrium. An identification key to species of the genus in the Neotropical region is provided.

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Nas últimas décadas tem crescido o esforço internacional para conhecer a biodiversidade mundial visando a criação de políticas públicas de conservação. O Brasil vem participando deste esforço, como evidenciam as recentes publicações sobre o estado do conhecimento de vários táxons de organismos. Os macroturbelários (Polycladida e Tricladida, Platyhelminthes) fazem parte da fauna mundialmente menos estudada. Neste trabalho inventariamos por regiões a diversidade da fauna brasileira conhecida de macroturbelários e comparamos esta diversidade com a do resto do mundo. Analisamos também a atividade dos taxonomistas brasileiros do grupo no contexto mundial. Os resultados mostram que praticamente a totalidade das 246 espécies nominais descritas procede das regiões Sudeste e Sul. O número de espécies deverá aumentar significativamente quando forem feitas novas coletas, tanto em biomas e regiões ainda pouco ou nada explorados quanto nas áreas já amostradas. O Brasil está, relativamente a outros países, bem provido de especialistas. No entanto, em face da grande diversidade estimada, as amostragens deveriam ocorrer concomitantemente com a formação de novos especialistas.

In the last decades, international efforts have increased, with the aim of acquiring greater knowledge on worldwide biodiversity and to propose adequate conservation policies. Brazil has joined in these efforts, as is shown by recent publications on the state of knowledge of several taxa of organisms. The macroturbellarians (Polycladida and Tricladida, Platyhelminthes) are part of one of the less studied faunal groups, not only in Brazil but also in other regions of the world. In the present study we inventoried the knowledge on the diversity of Brazilian macroturbellarians and make a comparison with that from the rest of the world. We also analyze the accomplishments of Brazilian taxonomists dealing with macroturbellarians, with regard to the world context. Our results show that almost all of the 246 described species are from the South-eastern and Southern regions. The number of species will increase significantly when new samples are undertaken in biomes and regions still little or non-sampled, as well as in already explored areas. Brazil is relatively well provided with specialists in relation to other countries. Nonetheless, in view of the high numbers of estimated diversity, new samples should concur with the academic formation of new taxonomists.

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