Obama ladislavii

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Obama ladislavii
Obama ladislavii.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Genus: Obama
Species:
O. ladislavii
Binomial name
Obama ladislavii
(von Graff, 1899)
Synonyms

Geoplana ladislaviivon Graff, 1899

Obama ladislavii is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is one of the most common land planarians in human-disturbed environments in southern Brazil and is easily identifiable by the green color of its dorsum. [1]

Contents

Description

Detail of Obama ladislavii showing the lateral eyes as black dots (close to the anterior end) and the dorsal eyes as white dots (more posteriorly). Click to enlarge. Obama ladislavii eyes.jpg
Detail of Obama ladislavii showing the lateral eyes as black dots (close to the anterior end) and the dorsal eyes as white dots (more posteriorly). Click to enlarge.

Obama ladislavii is a medium-sized land planarian with a lanceolate body. The larger specimens have a length of about 100 millimeters or more. The dorsum is green, varying from luminous green to brownish green without stripes. The ventral side is yellowish. [2]

The numerous eyes, about 800, are distributed marginally on the first millimeters of the body, being visible as a group of very small black dots, and posteriorly become dorsal, occupying up to 30% of the body width on each side. The dorsal eyes themselves are not easily visible to the naked eye, but are surrounded by a zone without pigmentation, called halo, which may be perceived as small whitish dots. [2]

On fully mature specimens, two irregular rows of spots with a darker green tinge may be seen on the first half of the body. Those rows are the many dorsal testicles visible through the body.

Distribution

Obama ladislavii is known to occur in the two southernmost Brazilian states, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. It is found in both native and disturbed environments, including seasonal and moist forests, as well as in human-disturbed areas, such as gardens, parks and plantations. [1] Among the forest formations in which it was recorded are Araucaria moist forest, Atlantic rainforest, and deciduous and semideciduous seasonal forests. [1] [3]

Obama ladislavii capturing a slug Deroceras laeve. Obama ladislavii vs Deroceras laeve.jpg
Obama ladislavii capturing a slug Deroceras laeve.

Diet

As most land planarians, O. ladislavii is a predator. In laboratory experiments, it has been shown to feed on land gastropods, including species of environmental and economic concern, such as Bradybaena similaris , Cornu aspersum and Deroceras laeve . It is able to detect a slime trail left by the gastropod on the substrate and follow it. [1]

Once finding the prey, the planarian can try to immobilize it by muscular force and, if it succeeds, it everts its pharynx and begins to consume the gastropod. In some cases, however, the planarian may not need to immobilize the prey; it can climb onto the shell, so that if the gastropod attempts escape, the planarian would be pulled along. When this occurs, the planarian can place its pharynx near the shell without the need for immobilization. [4] In order to ingest snails and large slugs, O. ladislavii pierces the prey's body with its pharynx and sucks its contents, apparently after releasing digestive enzymes. Small slugs may be entirely sucked by the pharynx into the intestine. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoplanidae</span> Family of flatworms

Geoplanidae is a family of flatworms known commonly as land planarians or land flatworms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoplaninae</span> Subfamily of flatworms

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.

<i>Luteostriata</i> Genus of flatworms

Luteostriata is a genus of land planarians from Brazil characterized by a yellow body with dark longitudinal stripes.

<i>Obama</i> (flatworm) Genus of worms

Obama is a genus of land planarians from South America. It contains several species adapted to human-disturbed environments, including the only invasive land planarian native to the Neotropical realm, Obama nungara, which has been accidentally introduced in Europe.

<i>Paraba</i> Genus of flatworms

Paraba is a genus of land planarians from South America.

<i>Cratera</i> (flatworm) Genus of flatworms

Cratera is a genus of land planarians found in South America.

<i>Luteostriata abundans</i> Species of flatworm

Luteostriata abundans is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is a common species in human-disturbed areas in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul.

<i>Obama anthropophila</i> Species of flatworm

Obama anthropophila is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is a very common land planarian in human-disturbed environments in southern and southeastern Brazil.

<i>Obama ficki</i> Species of flatworm

Obama ficki is a large species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.

<i>Obama josefi</i> Species of flatworm

Obama josefi is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.

<i>Obama maculipunctata</i> Species of flatworm

Obama maculipunctata is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.

<i>Obama nungara</i> Species of flatworm

Obama nungara is a species of land planarian in the family Geoplanidae. It is native to South America, but has been introduced in Europe.

<i>Cratera ochra</i> Species of flatworm

Cratera ochra is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is found in Brazil

<i>Luteostriata ernesti</i> Species of flatworm

Luteostriata ernesti is a species of Brazilian land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.

<i>Cratera cryptolineata</i> Species of flatworm

Cratera cryptolineata is a species of land planarian found in Brazil.

Cratera nigrimarginata is a species of land planarian found in Brazil.

Cratera aureomaculata is a species of land planarian from Brazil.

<i>Choeradoplana iheringi</i> Species of flatworm

Choeradoplana iheringi is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae found in Brazil.

<i>Choeradoplana minima</i> Species of flatworm

Choeradoplana minima is a species of land planarian belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is found in areas of Atlantic Forest within Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, such as São Francisco de Paula.

<i>Pasipha backesi</i> Species of flatworm

Pasipha backesi is a species of land planarian belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae. It is found within Brazil.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Boll, Piter Kehoma; Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria (2014). "Predation on invasive land gastropods by a Neotropical land planarian". Journal of Natural History. 49 (17–18): 983–994. doi:10.1080/00222933.2014.981312. ISSN   0022-2933. S2CID   85280766.
  2. 1 2 Álvarez-Presas, Marta; Amaral, Silvana V.; Carbayo, Fernando; Leal-Zanchet, Ana M.; Riutort, Marta (2015). "Focus on the details: morphological evidence supports new cryptic land flatworm (Platyhelminthes) species revealed with molecules". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 15 (2): 379–403. doi:10.1007/s13127-014-0197-z. ISSN   1439-6092. S2CID   17845569.
  3. ↑ Fick, Israel Alberto; Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria; Vieira, Emerson Monteiro (2006). "Community structure of land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Terricola): comparisons between Araucaria and Atlantic forest in Southern Brazil". Invertebrate Biology. 125 (4): 306–313. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7410.2006.00062.x. ISSN   1077-8306.
  4. ↑ Boll, Piter Kehoma; Leal-Zanchet, Ana Maria (2018). "Diversity out of simplicity: interaction behavior of land planarians with co-occurring invertebrates". Zoology. 126: 110–118. Bibcode:2018Zool..126..110B. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2017.11.005. ISSN   0944-2006. PMID   29191623.

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