Phylum Platyhelminthes Order Tricladida | Class Rhabditophora Rank Subfamily | |
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Description
The subfamily Microplaninae was defined by Ogren and Kawakatsu (1988) for land planarians with a short and cylindroid form, anterior end blunt, eyes often small and subepithelial musculature weak. The male copulatory apparatus is often complicated and has a well-developed penis. The female apparatus is very variable, with or without a seminal bursa and with or without a connection with the intestine.
It was originally considered, based on morphological evidence, to be the sister group of the subfamily Rhynchodeminae. However, recent phylogenetic analyses indicated that both subfamilies are not closely related.
Genera
Eight genera of Microplaninae are known:
Phylogeny
Phylogenetic tree including the land planarian subfamilies after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008. Note that Spathula and Romankenkius belong to the Dugesiidae family: