''Choeradoplana benyai'' is a species of

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 ...

belonging to the subfamily

Geoplaninae Geoplaninae is a subfamily of land planarians endemic to the Neotropical region. Members of this family are sometimes referred to as the Neotropical land planarians. However, one species, '' Obama nungara'' has been introduced in Europe. Descri ...

. It is found in areas of Atlantic Forest within

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, such as São Francisco de Paula.

Description

''Choeradoplana benyai'' is a flatworm that can reach up to 60 mm in length and 2 mm in width. It has an elongate body with parallel margins. The anterior tip is obtuse and has a pair of dark brown glandular cushions on the ventral side; the posterior tip is pointed. The dorsal side of the body is a dark brown color; the base color underneath is light brown, which is visible on a thin median stripe, on the body's margins, and on irregular spots. The ventral side is a light brown color.Lemos V. S., Cauduro G. P., Valiati V. H., Leal-Zanchet A. M. (2014) Phylogenetic relationships within the flatworm genus ''Choeradoplana'' Graff (Platyhelminthes : Tricladida) inferred from molecular data with the description of two new sympatric species from ''Araucaria'' moist forests. ''Invertebrate Systematics'' 28, 605-627. It is distinguished from other members of ''Choeradoplana'' by its dark brown color, having marginal and mainly pluriserial eyes lacking clear halos, sperm ducts that open into the lateral walls of the prostatic vesicle, a spherical intrabulbar prostatic vesicle with high folds and a narrow lumen in its front half, a long

ejaculatory duct The ejaculatory ducts (''ductus ejaculatorii'') are paired structures in the male reproductive system. Each ejaculatory duct is formed by the union of the vas deferens with the Excretory duct of seminal gland, duct of the seminal vesicle. They pa ...

, a long, cylindrical penis papilla with a folded wall, a short male atrium occupied by the proximal half of the penis papilla, ovovitelline ducts that emerge laterally from the median third of the ovaries and ascend behind the

gonopore A gonopore, sometimes called a gonadopore, is a genital pore in many invertebrates. Hexapods, including insects, have a single common gonopore, except mayflies, which have a pair of gonopores. More specifically, in the unmodified female, it is ...

, and male and female atria that have wide communication and independent musculatures.

Etymology

The specific epithet of ''benyai'' was given in honor of MSc. Edward Benya, in "acknowledgment towards his laboratory work and friendship".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q105753976 Geoplanidae Animals described in 2014 Fauna of the Atlantic Forest Platyhelminthes of Brazil