| Author Title Journal |
Ogren RE (1989) Redescription and a new name for the blue land planarian Geoplana vaga (Hyman) now considered conspecific with Caenoplana caerulea (Moseley) from Australia. J Pa Acad Sci 63(3):135-142 |
Abstract / Notes
Specimens of a blue land planarian introduced into the United States, and collected in gardens in Pasadena and Berkeley, California, was described under the name Geoplana vaga Hyman 1943. The ventral location of testes for G. vaga as in the genus Caenoplana Moseley 1977, demonstrates it no longer can be assigned to the genus Geoplana Stimpson 1857, which had dorsal testes. Restudy of the available type slides and specimens, indicates that this worm is conspecific with the blue Australian species Caenoplana coerulea Moseley 1877. The new indentification as Caenoplana coerulea vaga, has important consequences since this species is considered the type species of genus Caenoplana and its reproductive and internal features are now made known. A taxonomic results is that both the old world Caenoplana Moseley and the genus Kontikia Froehlich 1955 are available for geoplanid worms having ventral testes. However, a distinction can be made between these genera since the copulatory apparatus of Caenoplana coerula specimens lack the penis papilla, whereas this structure is present in Kontikia. The study strongly suggest that Australia or New Zealand was the source for the population of worms introduced accidentally into gardens of California with soil or potted plants.
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