Newzealandia Explained

Newzealandia is a genus of land planarians from New Zealand.

Description

Species of the genus Newzealandia are characterized by a copulatory apparatus that lacks a penis papilla and has a series of accessory glands embedded into the wall of the atrial cavity.^[1] Those glands are similar to the adenodactyls found in the closely related genus Artioposthia, the main difference being that adenodactyls project into the atrial cavity.^[2]

Etymology

The name Newzealandia comes from New Zealand, the country in which the species of the genus are found.

Species

The genus Newzealandia includes the following species:

• Newzealandia agricola (Dendy, 1895)
• Newzealandia graffii (Dendy, 1895)
• Newzealandia inaequabilis (Fyfe, 1956)
• Newzealandia inequalistriata (Dendy, 1895)
• Newzealandia iris (Dendy, 1896)
• Newzealandia moseleyi (Hutton, 1880)

Notes and References

1. Ogren . R. E. . Kawakatsu . M. . 1991 . Index to the species of the family Geoplanidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part II: Caenoplaninae and Pelmatoplaninae . Bulletin of Fujis Women's College . 29 . 35–58 .
2. Jones. H. D.. A new genus and species of terrestrial planarian (Platyhelminthes; Tricladida; Terricola) from Scotland, and an emendation of the genus Artioposthia. Journal of Natural History. 33. 3. 1999. 387–394. 0022-2933. 10.1080/002229399300308.