The genus Phagocata Leidy (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) in Israel, a new species of Phagocata from Lake Kinneret, and an emended description of Dugesia salina

Abstract

The genus Phagocata (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) is represented in Israel by two pigmented species, namely, Phagocata armeniaca (Komárek, 1916), reported previously from Armenia, the Caucasus and eastern Turkey, and more recently known from the constantly cold headwaters of the River Jordan in northern Israel, and Phagocata punctata sp. nov., which was found inhabiting the littoral of the south-eastern shore of Lake Kinneret where there are large seasonal temperature fluctuations. Several samples of both species were collected in different seasons and raised in the laboratory at various temperatures and their habitats, morphology, karyology (2n = 34) and breeding behaviour were compared. The results of cross-breeding experiments are given, with most of the F1 offspring showing a range of patterns of colouration, gut branching and fecundity which were intermediate to those of the parent species. However, crossbreeding also resulted in a small proportion of abnormalities among the F1, and especially the F2, generations, indicating an incomplete reproductive compatibility, but supporting the hypothesis of their common origin. An emended description of Dugesia salina (Whitehouse, 1914), is also given together with karyological data (2n = 16) from material collected from a saline spring, En Sheva (Tabgha), situated on the north-western shore of Lake Kinneret.

Integrative taxonomy unveils a new species of Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from the southern portion of the Taihang Mountains in northern China, with the description of its complete mitogenome and an exploratory analysis of mitochondrial gene order as a taxonomic character

“…1999; Stocchino 2018; Wang et al . 2021a,b; Bromley‐Schnur 2021). Evidently, none of these species is anatomically similar to D. constrictiva ; otherwise, we would have included these in our comparative morphological discussion (see above).…”

“…Chromosome portraits is similar to the one of D. constrictiva have been documented also for the following species: many Sardinian populations of D. benazzii Lepori, 1951, D. etrusca labronica Lepori, 1950, D. elegans de Vries, 1984, D. gonocephala (Dugès, 1830), D. japonica, D. indonesiana, D. majuscula, D. sagitta (Schmidt, 1861), D. semiglobosa, D. circumcisa, D. verrucula, D. salina (Whitehouse, 1913, and presumably also D. colapha Dahm, 1967(cf. Dahm 1967Benazzi & Gourbault 1975;Kawakatsu et al 1976;Ball 1979;De Vries 1984;Deri et al 1999;Pala et al 1999;Stocchino 2018;Wang et al 2021a,b;Bromley-Schnur 2021). Evidently, none of these species is anatomically similar to D. constrictiva; otherwise, we would have included these in our comparative morphological discussion (see above).…”