Microplana Vejdovsky, 1890

Vila-Farré, Miquel, Sluys, Ronald, Mateos, Eduardo, Jones, Hugh D. & Romero, Rafael, 2011, Land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) from the Iberian Peninsula: new records and description of two new species, with a discussion on ecology, Journal of Natural History 45 (15 - 16), pp. 869-891 : 871-872

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2010.536267
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E687FA-FFEC-BC0B-FE79-FDDCFEBCFC25
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Microplana Vejdovsky, 1890
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Genus Microplana Vejdovsky, 1890 View in CoL

Microplana terrestris (Müller, 1774)

( Figures 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , Table 1)

Material examined

ZMA V. Pl. 6855.1, Parque Natural Fragas do Eume , province of A Coruña (northwestern Spain), 20 November 2004, sagittal sections on 12 slides ; V.Pl. 6855.2, ibid., sagittal sections on 11 slides ; V. Pl. 6855.3, ibid., sagittal sections on 14 slides. CRBA- 3775a-e, Parque Natural Fragas do Eume , province of A Coruña (northwestern Spain), 20 November 2004, sagittal sections on five slides. CRBA-3774a-d, Capdella, north of the province of Lleida ( Spain), 23 March 2004, sagittal sections on four slides; CRBA-3779a-l, ibid., sagittal sections on 12 slides. CRBA-3780a-l, Capdella, north of the province of Lleida (northeastern Spain), unknown date, sagittal sections on 12 slides .

Comparative discussion

Among European land planarians M. terrestris has the largest distributional range; it has been reported from the USA (cf. Ogren and Kawakatsu 1998). The first apparent record for the Iberian Peninsula ( Mateos et al. 1998) has been recently shown to be a misidentification ( Jones et al. 2008). In a recent study Mateos et al. (2009) reported the species from the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, this time identifying the species only on the basis of molecular techniques. During our samplings many localities have yielded specimens with external traits corresponding to those of M. terrestris : large size; grey or black colour; broad, white creeping sole. Two of these populations, distributed in the north of the Iberian Peninsula ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 ), have been analysed. Earlier papers on the species ( Von Kennel 1882; Bendl 1908; Jones et al. 2008) have adequately detailed the morphology of the copulatory apparatus and other anatomical structures. We will here only mention those traits that were characteristic of each population.

First, animals from Parque Natural Fragas do Eume ( Figure 2A, B View Figure 2 ) have two small structures under the intestine ( Figure 2B View Figure 2 ) and above the penis papilla, lined with an epithelium that is histologically very similar to that of the copulatory bursa and the genito-intestinal duct. These structures were found in all three specimens examined. Although it is known that more than one connection may exist between the copulatory bursa and the intestine (cf. Von Graff 1899; Bendl 1908) this structure in our specimens is clearly independent, but could well be a remnant of a second genito-intestinal duct.

Second, specimens from Capdella ( Figures 2C, D View Figure 2 ) have a vertically oriented penis papilla ( Figure 2C View Figure 2 ). The new records considerably extend the known distribution range of the species.