Othelosoma Explained

Othelosoma is a genus of land planarians found in Africa and India.^[1]

Description

The genus Othelosoma is characterized by having an elongate, rounded body, generally only two eyes and a blunt anterior end. The copulatory apparatus has a permanent penis. The bursa copulatrix is large and communicates with the genital atrium by two canals, the vaginal duct and the Beauchamp's canal.^[2]

Species

There are 40 species assigned to the genus Othelosoma:

• Othelosoma africanum (von Graff, 1899)
• Othelosoma angolense (de Beauchamp, 1951)
• Othelosoma caffrum (Jameson, 1907)
• Othelosoma chinum (Marcus, 1955)
• Othelosoma conyum (Marcus, 1953)
• Othelosoma cylindricum (de Beauchamp, 1913)
• Othelosoma duplamaculosum Sluys & Neumann, 2017^[3]
• Othelosoma evelinae Marcus, 1970
• Othelosoma flavescens (Jameson, 1907)
• Othelosoma gnaum Marcus, 1955
• Othelosoma gravelyi (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma hepaticarum (Jameson, 1907)
• Othelosoma hirudineum (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma huntum Marcus, 1955
• Othelosoma impensum Sluys & Neumann, 2017
• Othelosoma joburgi Jones, 2004^[4]
• Othelosoma kukkal (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma laticlavium Sluys & Neumann, 2017
• Othelosoma lineaenigrum Sluys & Neumann, 2017
• Othelosoma macrothylax (de Beauchamp, 1936)
• Othelosoma marcusi de Beauchamp, 1956
• Othelosoma marlieri de Beauchamp, 1956
• Othelosoma musculosum (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma nigrescens (Mell, 1904)
• Othelosoma notabile (von Graff, 1899)
• Othelosoma nyanga Jones & Cumming, 2005^[5]
• Othelosoma polecatum Marcus, 1953
• Othelosoma pugum Marcus, 1953
• Othelosoma retractile (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma rudebecki Marcus, 1955
• Othelosoma saegeri Marcus, 1955
• Othelosoma sholanum (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma simile Sluys & Neumann, 2017
• Othelosoma speciosum (von Graff, 1896)
• Othelosoma symondsii Gray, 1869
• Othelosoma torquatum (de Beauchamp, 1930)
• Othelosoma voleum Marcus, 1953
• Othelosoma wauzen Marcus, 1955

Notes and References

1. Ogren . Robert E. . Kawakatsu . Masaharu . Index to the species of the family Rhynchodemidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part II: Microplaninae . The Bulletin of Fuji Women's College . Series 2 . 27 . 11 . 1989 . 53–111 .
2. Ogren . Robert E. . Kawakatsu . Masaharu . Index to the species of the family Rhynchodemidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part I: Rhynchodeminae. . The Bulletin of Fuji Women's College . Series 2 . 26 . 2 . 1988 . 39–91 .
3. Sluys . Ronald . Neumann . Matthias . Lima . Ricardo F. De . Drewes . Robert C. . Land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) of São Tomé: a first account on their diversity, with the description of five new species . Zootaxa . 4221 . 3 . 2017 . 291–322 . 1175-5334 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4221.3.2.
4. Jones . H. D. . A new species of land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Terricola: Rhynchodemidae) from South Africa, with a list of African terrestrial planarian species . African Zoology . 39 . 1 . 2004 . 31–40 . 1562-7020 . 10.1080/15627020.2004.11407283.
5. Jones . H.D. . Cumming . M.S. . A new land planarian species of the genus Othelosoma (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Terricola: Rhynchodemidae) from the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe . African Zoology . 40 . 1 . 2005 . 99–106 . 1562-7020 . 10.1080/15627020.2005.11407315.