A New Species of Land Planarian, Diporodemus merridithae, and Cohabitant Specimens from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina, U.S.A

Abstract

Abstract A new endemic species of land planarian, Diporodemus merridithae, belonging to subfamily Microplaninae is described from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the first report of a new land planarian of the subfamily Microplaninae from the United States since 1954 (Hyman 1954). Species external and internal anatomy is described using photographs and a drawing and notes on species distribution, habitat, and conservation are provided. Identifications and previous reports of land planarians from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the United States, and Europe is discussed, as are collections of two cohabitants and the observation of asexual reproduction observed in one cohabitant specimen.