''Australoplana'' also known as Australian flatworm 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 Australia and New Zealand.

Description

The genus ''Australoplana'' is characterized by having an elongated, strap-like body that is broadly convex dorsally and flat ventrally. The creeping sole occupies less than 25% of the body with. The eyes are absent or minute and arranged along the body margins in a single row from the anterior to the posterior end. The parenchymal longitudinal musculature is very weak or absent. The copulatory apparatus has an intra-antral penis papilla in some species and the ovovitelline ducts enter the female atrium ventrally.BHL
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Invasive species

''Australoplana sanguinea'' is an invasive alien species in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

where it predates on

earthworms An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial animal, terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (biology), class (or subclass (biology), subclass, depending on ...

Etymology

The name ''Australoplana'' comes from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''australis'', southern + ''plana'', flat.

Species

The genus ''Australoplana'' includes the following species: *''

Australoplana alba ''Australoplana'' also known as Australian flatworm is a genus of land planarians from Australia and New Zealand. Description The genus ''Australoplana'' is characterized by having an elongated, strap-like body that is broadly convex dorsally an ...

'' *''Australoplana minor'' (Dendy, 1892) *''Australoplana rubicunda'' (Fletcher & Hamilton, 1888) *''

Australoplana sanguinea ''Australoplana'' also known as Australian flatworm is a genus of land planarians from Australia and New Zealand. Description The genus ''Australoplana'' is characterized by having an elongated, strap-like body that is broadly convex dorsally an ...

'' (Moseley, 1877) *''Australoplana typhlops'' (Dendy, 1894)

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q18520015 Geoplanidae Rhabditophora genera