Three new species of Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 from Araucaria forests with a key to species of the genus (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola)

Abstract

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.

Peer Review #1 of "Five new pseudocryptic land planarian species of Cratera (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) unveiled through integrative taxonomy (v0.2)"

“…Regarding the external aspect, C. cryptolineata Rossi & Leal-Zanchet, 2017 is the only species of the genus similar to C. assu in that both species display a uniform dark dorsum with clear margins. However, their copulatory apparatuses are notably different from each other in PeerJ reviewing PDF | (2020:04:48478:1:1:NEW 8 Jul 2020)…”

“…Geoplana as a monophyletic group with 9 species to which were gradually added another 11 species with similar features (Carbayo & Almeida, 2015;Negrete & Brusa, 2016;Rossi et al, 2014Rossi et al, , 2016Rossi & Leal-Zanchet, 2017;Lago-Barcia & Carbayo, 2018;Boll et al, 2019). The most conspicuous diagnostic feature of Cratera is an ejaculatory duct with its distal section being widened (Marcus, 1951;Lago-Barcia & Carbayo, 2018).…”

“…boja is distinctive among all species of the genus in the spotted color pattern of the dorsal side. Regarding its copulatory apparatus, there are five species with a similar aspect of the copulatory apparatus and size of the dilation of the ejaculatory duct, namely, C. aureomaculataRossi & Leal-Zanchet, 2017, C. nigrimarginata Rossi & Leal-Zanchet, 2017, C. pseudovaginuloides, C. tamoia, and C. viridimaculata Negrete & Brusa, 2016 all of these five species have a common glandular ovovitelline duct (absent in C. boja; but see redescription of C. pseudovaginuloides in Riester, 1938); (b) the male and female atria are not separated by a constriction in C. pseudovaginuloides (separated in C. boja); (c) the penis papilla PeerJ reviewing PDF | (2020:04:48478:1:1:NEW 8 Jul 2020)Manuscript to be reviewed is longer than the male atrium in C. nigrimarginata and C. pseudovaginuloides (shorter in C. boja); (d) the prostatic vesicle is horizontal in C. nigrimarginata (inverted-U shaped in C. assu);(e) the female atrium is funnel-shaped, and its posterior section oriented upwards in C. viridimaculata (horizontal, and not funnel-shaped in C. boja); (f) the prostatic vesicle runs postero-dorsally in C. aureomaculata and C. tamoia (inverted U-shaped in C. boja); (g) the penis papilla exhibits a postero-ventral orientation in C. tamoia (postero-dorsal in C. boja); and (h) there is no accumulation of necks of cyanophil cells piercing the roof of the male atrium in C. nigrimarginata, C. pseudovaginuloides, and C. tamoia (cell necks present in C. boja).…”

Why be original? Two new species of Choeradoplana resembling the type species of the genus in their external aspects (Platyhelminthes, Continenticola)

“…Choeradoplanalongivesicula was recorded only in its type-locality, the Araucaria Natural Heritage Private Reserve, state of Parana, in a site showing an initial stage of regeneration with poorly developed understorey (Rossi and Leal-Zanchet 2017, Amaral et al 2018). Choeradoplanacyanoatria occurred only in its type-locality, the Três Barras National Forest, state of Santa Catarina, located ca.…”