''Amaga'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

land planarian Geoplanidae is a family of flatworms known commonly as land planarians or land flatworms. These flatworms are mainly predators of other invertebrates, which they hunt, attack and capture using physical force and the adhesive and digestive proper ...

s from

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Description

The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and

Masaharu Kawakatsu is a Japanese zoologist known for his studies on the taxonomy and ecology of planarians. Life Masaharu Kawakatsu was born in 1929 in the Asahi, Hokkaido, Asahi village, Kameoka town, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, son of Masakazu Kawakatsu, a squir ...

to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis papilla at the proximal end of a folded male atrium. A later redescription of the type species, ''Amaga amagensis'', revealed that the intra-antral penis papilla is not a permanent structure as previously thought. The remaining species currently in the genus need a taxonomic re-evaluation and may be transferred to new genera in the future. After more analyses, including new species, a new diagnosis of the genus describes it as Geoplaninid land planarians with dorsal

testes A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone. The ...

, copulatory apparatus with an extrabulbr prostatic vesicle and lacking a permanent penis, the ovovitelline ducts entering the female atrium dorsally either separately or through a very short common duct. Many species include glandular or musculo-glandular organs on the walls of the male atrium. However, many species currently in the genus do not match these diagnostic features, and their position within the genus needs further studies.

Etymology

The name ''Amaga'' comes from the specific epithet, ''amagensis'', of the type-species, originally described as ''Geoplana amagensis'' due to its occurrence in the proximities of

Amagá Amagá () is a town and Municipalities of Colombia, municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. It is part of the subregion of Southwestern Antioquia. The area was known for its coal and iron ore production and it hosted early iron works. Ex- ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Invasive species

Most species of ''Amaga'' have been found in their country of origin in continental South America. However, '' Amaga expatria'' has been discovered in the

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and has never been found in South America. In 2020, a study showed that the species was present in many locations in the islands of

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

and

Martinique Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...

. ''Amaga expatria'' feeds on earthworms and snails. ''

Amaga pseudobama ''Amaga pseudobama'' is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. Description ''Amaga pseudobama'' is 19–28 mm in length. The body is broadly lanceolate with tapered extremities, the color is dark brown dorsally and l ...

'' has been discovered in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida in the USA. Its country of origin, probably in South America, is unknown.

Genetics

The complete

mitochondrial genome Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the DNA contained in ...

of '' Amaga expatria'' has been analysed. It is 14,962 bp in length and contains 12 protein coding genes, two rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes. The mitogenome was compared with the few available mitogenomes from geoplanids and the most similar was ''

Obama nungara Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

'', a species from South America. The complete mitogenome of ''

'' also encodes for 12 protein coding genes, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA and is colinear with those of other Geoplanidae. The Elongation Factor 1-alpha gene, 18S and 28S genes were also characterised.

Species

The following species are accepted in the genus ''Amaga'': *''

Amaga aglandulosa Amagá is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. Amaga may also refer to: * ''Amaga'' (flatworm), a genus of land planarians from South America *Australian Museums and Galleries Association The Australian Museums and Galle ...

'' *'' Amaga amagensis'' *''

Amaga becki ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *''

Amaga bogotensis ''Amaga bogotensis'' is a species of land planarians that occurs in Colombia in the capital Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) durin ...

'' *''

Amaga bussoni ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *''

Amaga contamanensis ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *'' Amaga expatria'' *''

Amaga libbieae ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *''

Amaga olivacea ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *''

Amaga ortizi Amagá is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. Amaga may also refer to: * ''Amaga'' (flatworm), a genus of land planarians from South America *Australian Museums and Galleries Association The Australian Museums and Galle ...

'' *''

Amaga righii ''Amaga'' is a genus of land planarians from South America. Description The genus ''Amaga'' was erected by Robert E. Ogren and Masaharu Kawakatsu to include Neotropical land planarians with an intra-antral penis papilla, i.e., small penis pa ...

'' *'' Amaga vesiculosa''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18579875 Geoplanidae Rhabditophora genera