Copulatory Apparatus Research Articles

A MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF CRENOBIA ALPINA AND CRENOBIA MONTENIGRINA IN PARÂNG-CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS (ROMANIA), (PLATYHELMINTHES, TRICLADIDA, PLANARIIDAE)

The paper analyses the morphology of the copulatory apparatus and the reproductive isolation of the monopharyngeal and polypharyngeal Crenobia (Dana, 1766) in sympatric populations in Parâng Mt., Romania. The copulatory apparatus of the two forms shows a non-simultaneous development, indicating a seasonal reproductive isolation: the monopharyngeal alpina becomes able to mate during the warm season while the polypharyngeal montenigrina becomes able to mate during the cold season. The mature copulatory apparatus of the monopharyngeals and the polypharyngeals shows all the characters typical for Crenobia alpina (Dana, 1766), respectively for Crenobia montenigrina (Mrázek, 1904) as presented in the literature. In both species, some specimens reveal a complex system of fine ducts / sclerotized lines into the wall of the genital atrium, which are attributed to biological structures of unknown function rather than histological artefacts.

Effect of Flowering Period on Drone Reproductive Parameters (Apis mellifera L.).

Insufficient protein intake during the larval phase of drones affects the development of reproductive organs and spermatogenesis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the flowering-scarcity and flowering-onset periods on the eversion of the copulatory apparatus, ejaculation, and sperm quality of drones (Apis mellifera L.). To stimulate the laying of drone eggs during the flowering-scarcity period, 1 L of sugar syrup was supplied weekly to the hives, along with a protein supplement made of 20% pollen and 80% brewer's yeast. During the periods of flowering scarcity and the onset of flowering, 800 drones were collected (200 per month). At the onset of flowering, 270 drones showed eversion of the copulatory apparatus, of which 162 ejaculated, compared to the flowering-scarcity period, where 112 drones showed eversion of the copulatory apparatus and 39 drones ejaculated. During the period of flowering onset, sperm parameters such as volume, concentration, motility, viability, acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial activity were higher compared to the period of flowering scarcity. In conclusion, we observed a greater number of drones with eversion of the copulatory apparatus and ejaculation, as well as better sperm quality with the drones bred during the period of flowering onset. These differences indicate that the flowering-scarcity period significantly impacts the reproductive parameters of drones.

A new threat to the European marine environment: The exotic polyclad flatworm Postenterogonia orbicularis (Schmarda, 1859)

Harbours and marinas are optimal places for the detection of the arrival of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) in the early stages of introduction. Marine traffic serves as a route for species movement among different regions, while the species settlement in the ports is facilitated due to habitat degradation. Among NIS, polyclads flatworms are active hunters of bivalves, posing a threat to recipient environments and aquaculture. They can either use their pharynx and mucus to penetrate the mussels and oysters, or enter molluscs while they filter, making the management of the species difficult. In this regard, this work aims to report the first morphological and molecular identification of a new NIS polyclad native to the Pacific Ocean in Europe, specifically in the Ría de Avilés and the Gijón Port (North of Spain, Cantabrian Sea, Bay of Biscay). The occurrence of mature ovigerous specimens and the collection of specimens of various sizes from different times of the year, evidence a reproductively-active population in the area. The external morphological characters, as the ruffled pharynx and the cephalic eyes, and the internal ones, as the male copulatory apparatus, fit with the description of Postenterogonia orbicularis. The phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial COI marker, placed the studied specimens from Avilés and Gijón (Spain) and the recently described species Idiostylochus tortuosus from Arcachon Bay (France) within the P. orbicularis clade (Ilyplanidae family). Therefore, our results suggest that I. tortuosus may be a synonym of the New Zealander P. orbicularis. Finally, we discuss the possible ecological impacts of its introduction and provide some management recommendations for controlling its influx in the recipient environments.

Hidden diversity under stripes: three new species of land flatworms of the genus Paraba (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) from the southern Atlantic forest

ABSTRACT The dorsal color pattern, together with the morphology of the copulatory apparatus, provide important taxonomic characteristics for the identification of land planarians. In genera such as Paraba, in which most species have a morphologically similar copulatory apparatus and a dorsum with several stripes that vary according to color, width, and arrangement, the existence of pseudocryptic species can lead to a misidentification and underestimation of their diversity. In this work we describe three new species of Paraba which, due to the color pattern, have been mistaken for already described species of the genus. Specimens were collected in different forest formations of the southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from each other and from other congeners through the color pattern of the dorsal surface of the body combined with some features of the copulatory apparatus, like the anatomy of the prostatic vesicle and the male atrium. Additionally, we propose an emendation to the diagnosis of Paraba based on characters observed in the three new species and some characteristics occurring in other species of the genus.

THE FIRST DATA ON MICROTURBELLARIANS (PLATHELMINTHES, RHABDITOPHORA) OF THE BOGUCHANSKY RESERVOIR. 1. KALYPTORHYNCHIA OF BAIKAL ORIGIN, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW SPECIES

This series of reports is devoted to taxonomic investigations of the microturbellarian fauna (Plathelminthes, Rhabditophora) of the Boguchansky reservoir, lower flow of the Angara River, eastern Siberia. The first report provides information about ten species of Kalyptorhynchia (Rhynchokarlingiidae) previously described from Lake Baikal. Three of them are new species, all described in the present paper. The new species of Kalyptorhynchia belong to the genera Mariareuterella Timoshkin Grygier 2005, Riedelella Timoshkin 2004 and Rhynchokarlingia Timoshkin et Mamkaev 2004, respectively. A species with five cuticular hooks in the male copulatory apparatus is discovered for the first time. The diagnosis of the genus Rhynchokarlingia is expanded. All species are found in the lower reaches of Angara River. Rhynchokarlingiidae is a family of kalyptorhynchian worms autochthonous in Baikal. It seems logical to assume that all newly described species are also of Baikal origin. Endemic Baikal Kalyptorhynchia are found for the first time in an area so remote (about 1400 km) from Lake Baikal. Our records significantly expand the distribution area of Rhynchokarlingiidae, with the Boguchanskoye reservoir of Angara River to be considered as the northern range limit of their distribution. Illustrated descriptions of nine species (including three new ones), comparisons with previously described taxa, information on distribution and brief ecological data are also given.

Review of Euchromadorinae (Nematoda: Chromadorida) with description of a new species of Trochamus Boucher & De Bovée, 1971 from the Sundarban, India.

Diagnostic characters for all 11 valid genera of Euchromadorinae are presented with taxonomic key on the basis of morphology of male copulatory apparatus, cuticular pattern, amphideal fovea, and buccal onchia. The key to the species of Trochamus spp. is also constructed with the description of T. timmi sp. n. from the mud-flat of Sundarban, India. The newly described species is different from other Trochamus spp. on the basis of the appearance of lateral differentiation of cuticle, long curved spicule, simple gubernaculum and the presence of pre-cloacal modification in male.

Bizarre Morphology Obscures Real Affiliation: An Integrative Study of Enigmatic Cephalaspid Philine denticulata from Arctic Waters Reveals Its Unique Phylogenetic Position

The biodiversity of Cephalaspidea (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) is poorly studied, and novel findings often lead to revisions at different taxonomic levels. The family Philinidae has a distinct set of defining characters in the shell, copulatory apparatus, and gizzard morphology, but several species, considered part of the family, deviate from it significantly. Philine denticulata (J. Adams, 1800) was considered to be a Philinidae despite the species morphology not fitting well with the family diagnosis. This species has an oval cylindrical external shell, jaws, and a gizzard lined with a chitinous layer with three thickened ridges. We studied Philine denticulata morphology on samples from the White and Barents Seas using the light and scanning electron microscopy methods in addition to computer microtomography. We also reconstructed its phylogenetic position using COI, 16S, 28S, and H3 genetic markers. Our integrative analysis revealed close relationships of this species to the family Aglajidae. Thus, we describe a new genus Philinissima gen. nov., including a single species Philinissima denticulata (J. Adams, 1800) comb. nov. which is the first aglajid registered from the Arctic waters. Our findings highlight possible problems in the Aglajidae taxonomical composition and an overall need for a dedicated integrative revision of the Cephalaspidea.

Muscle system of the penial complex in three species of Hygrophila (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)

The Hygrophila, a group comprising freshwater lung-bearing gastropods, have a complex copulatory apparatus, whose musculature has recently been shown to provide a number of phylogenetically informative characters that appear to concur with the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses. The number of hygrophilan species for which the male copulatory musculature is known, however, is still relatively small. We examined the muscle arrangement in the penial complex (penis and penis sheath) of three species of Hygrophila: Aplexa hypnorum (Linnaeus, 1758) (fam. Physidae), Kolhymorbis bogatovi Zatravkin et Moskvicheva, 1985 (fam. Planorbidae, tribe Segmentinini), and Planorbarius corneus (Linnaeus, 1758) (fam. Planorbidae, tribe Helisomatini) to explore whether the organization of the male copulatory musculature in these species is consistent with the previously proposed phylogenetic hypotheses. In A. hypnorum, the primarily glandular penis sheath has a three-layered musculature with outer and inner circular and intermediate longitudinal layers. The tubular penis also has a three-layered musculature, with the same sequence of muscle fibers as in the penis sheath. In K. bogatovi, the sequence of muscle layers in the penis sheath is essentially the same as in A. hypnorum. Penial musculature is also arranged in three layers, but the intermediate layer consists of small radial, rather than longitudinal fibers and the inner and outer layers are circular. In P. corneus, the boundaries between muscle layers in both penis and penis sheath are somewhat indistinct, but the circular muscles tend to lie close to their outer and inner walls, while the longitudinal fibers are concentrated in the interior. The comparison with other hygrophilan species, in which the copulatory musculature has been previously studied, shows that the male copulatory musculature of K. bogatovi is consistent in arrangement with that of other representatives of Segmentinini and that the phylogenetic lineage leading to P. corneus has probably diverged before the clade Planorbini + Segmentinini. The musculature of the penial complex of A. hypnorum is generally similar to that of another physid, Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805), but the penis sheath of P. acuta lacks an outer layer of circular muscle fibers, which may be explained by reduction.

Upon an un-identified Schmidtea species from SW Romania (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae)

This paper presents the general organization of a Dugesiidae population from Dăbuleni locality (SW Romania) with emphasis on the anatomy of the copulatory apparatus. The copulatory apparatus is characterized by intermingled bursal canal musculature and two distinct penis bulbs with two large seminal vesicles. The copulatory apparatus is also characterised by the presence of an atrial fold, feature typical of Schmidtea mediterranea (Benazzi, Baguñà, Ballester, Puccinelli, Del Papa 1975). The characteristics of the copulatory apparatus of the investigated population are comparatively discussed with all the other Schmidtea species. Data on the reproductive biology are also given. The presence of Schmidtea mediterranea in SW Romania is discussed in relation with the paleogeographic evolution of land and aquatic basins of Europe. The possibility that the Schmidtea population from Dăbuleni (SW Romania) be a candidate for a new species is also considered.

First molecular phylogeny of the freshwater planarian genusGirardia(Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) unveils hidden taxonomic diversity and initiates resolution of its historical biogeography

AbstractThe genus Girardia (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) comprises several species of which some have spread from their original areas of distribution in the Americas to other parts of the globe. Due to great anatomical similarity between species, morphology-based phylogenetic analyses have struggled to resolve the affinities between species and species-groups. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that populations of Girardia may show only asexual reproduction by fissiparity and, thus, do not exhibit a copulatory apparatus, which hampers taxonomic identification of phylogenetic characters. In the present work, this problem has been resolved by constructing a molecular phylogeny of the genus. Although our samples do not include representatives of all known species, they cover a large part of the original distributional range of the genus Girardia. Our phylogenetic results suggest the presence of two main clades, which are genetically and karyologically highly differentiated. North and South American populations of G. tigrina actually constitute two sibling species that are not even closely related. The South American form is here described as a new species. The phylogenetic tree brings to light that Girardia arose on the South American portion of Gondwanaland, from which it, subsequently, dispersed to the Nearctic Region, probably more than once.

<i>Corrigendum to</i>: Integrative taxonomy increases biodiversity knowledge of <i>Gusana</i> (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplanidae) with the description of four new Chilean species

The Chilean land planarian genus <i>Gusana</i> (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplaninae) currently comprises three species that were described in the 19th century. Four new species of the genus are described herein, namely <i>G. hualpensis</i> Carbayo, sp. nov., <i>G. lujanae</i> Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov., <i>G. melipeucensis</i> Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. and <i>G. purensis</i> Bolonhezi, Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. An integrative taxonomy approach was adopted by combining morphological (anatomy, histology) and molecular (<i>COI</i> and <i>28S</i> genes) information. Additionally, the monophyletic status of <i>Gusana</i> is investigated and the species are delimited by a recently introduced molecular delimitation method based on pairwise genetic distances. All <i>Gusana</i> species are very similar in attributes such as body shape, dorsal colour pattern and internal organs, namely the pharynx and copulatory apparatus and only differ in the details. <i>Gusana</i> is retrieved as monophyletic and the molecular delimitation method recovered the same species recognised morphologically. A re-diagnosis of the genus and replacement of <i>G. lata</i> into <i>Pseudogeoplana</i> are also proposed. A new role of the penis papilla is also suggested based on the spermatophore found in <i>Gusana lujanae</i>.

Evaluation of female masculinization in Pomacea canaliculata (Caenogastropoda, Ampullariidae) induced by tributyltin, heavy metals, and uranium in culture water.

All female Pomacea canaliculata develop a small, male-like copulatory apparatus a few days after birth, which growths slowly until sexual maturity, and even further in older age. Previous studies have found trace elements like mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and uranium (U) in tap water used for snail culture, and that these elements were accumulated in snail tissues. Here, we test whether the presence of these metals at maximum allowed concentrations (Environmental Protection Agency - EPA) in aquarium water could affect the development of the copulatory apparatus in mature females. Females of different ages were used as controls, grown in reconstituted metal-free water with or without the addition of Hg, As and U, as well as tributyltin (TBT), a compound used as masculinizing agent. Six and seven months old females cultured in tap water showed a longer penis and penile sheath, and a greater overall development of the copulatory apparatus, measured by an index (DI), as compared with same-age females cultured in reconstituted water. Moreover, when females were exposed to Hg, As or U at the maximum contaminant levels for human consumption allowed by EPA regulations, there was no further development of the copulatory apparatus, while there was a clearly positive effect in TBT-exposed females. This study confirms the masculinizing effect of organotin compounds on female copulatory apparatus and discusses the usefulness of the development of these organs as a bioindicator of environmental pollution.

Integrative taxonomy increases biodiversity knowledge of Gusana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplanidae) with the description of four new Chilean species

The Chilean land planarian genus Gusana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Geoplaninae) currently comprises three species that were described in the 19th century. Four new species of the genus are described herein, namely G. hualpensis Carbayo, sp. nov., G. lujanae Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov., G. melipeucensis Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. and G. purensis Bolonhezi, Almeida & Carbayo, sp. nov. An integrative taxonomy approach was adopted by combining morphological (anatomy, histology) and molecular (COI and 28S genes) information. Additionally, the monophyletic status of Gusana is investigated and the species are delimited by a recently introduced molecular delimitation method based on pairwise genetic distances. All Gusana species are very similar in attributes such as body shape, dorsal colour pattern and internal organs, namely the pharynx and copulatory apparatus and only differ in the details. Gusana is retrieved as monophyletic and the molecular delimitation method recovered the same species recognised morphologically. A re-diagnosis of the genus and replacement of G. lata into Pseudogeoplana are also proposed. A new role of the penis papilla is also suggested based on the spermatophore found in Gusana lujanae.

Morphology of the oldest fossil subfamily of Limoniidae (Diptera, Architipulinae) in the light of exceptionally preserved Mesozoic material

Based on known fossil evidence the extinct subfamily Architipulinae is considered to be the oldest evolutionary group of the Limoniidae, the largest family within the infraorder Tipulomorpha. The morphology of this subfamily, which includes 11 genera, has so far been based mainly on wing venation. New well-preserved representatives of the genus Cretolimonia Kalugina, 1986 were recovered from the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary of Shevia and Daya, Transbaikalia, as well as from mid-Cretaceous amber from Kachin, Myanmar. This new material enriches our knowledge of the subfamily Architipulinae and of the genus Cretolimonia, and allows us to ascertain the detailed morphological structure of the female copulatory apparatus with spermathecae and the structure of the male hypopygium. The combination of detailed impression fossils with a specimen preserved three-dimensionally in resin has permitted study of the morphology of this Mesozoic fly genus almost to the level of modern genera. The paper includes descriptions of four new species of Cretolimonia: C. lukashevichae sp. nov., C. pseudojurassica sp. nov., C. dayana sp. nov. from sedimentary rocks, and C. mikolajczyki sp. nov. from Myanmar amber, supported with a key to all known species.

Rhodopotyphlus mitovi gen. et sp. nov., a new endogean millipede from the Western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria (Diplopoda: Julida: Julidae).

A new genus and species, Rhodopotyphlus mitovi gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Western Rhodopi Mts., south-central Bulgaria. According to its morphology combined with previously published molecular data, the new species is supposed to represent a basal lineage in the julid tribe Typhloiulini. Some assumptions concerning the early evolutionary stages of the development of the mesomerean important part of the male copulatory apparatus of many julid millipedesare made on the basis of the outstanding gonopod conformation in the newly described taxon. Rhodopotyphlus mitovi gen. et sp. nov. is likely a narrow local endemic showing preference for specific microhabitat conditions.

Under threat: Two new troglobitic species of Girardia (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) from sandstone and limestone caves in Brazil

The diversity of freshwater triclads of the suborder Continenticola in the Neotropical region is poorly known, with few studies in South America. In this work, we describe two new cave-dwelling species of Girardia: G. corumbataiensis sp. nov. is described from a single sandstone cave located in an area covered by semi-deciduous vegetation, southeastern Brazil; G. nobresis sp. nov. is described from a single flooded limestone cave located in an area of Cerrado vegetation, central-western Brazil. Specimens of G. corumbataiensis sp. nov. have a slight pigmented dorsal surface with highly triangular head and two eyes, whereas specimens of G. nobresis sp. nov. lack body pigmentation and eyes and have pointed auricles. Girardia corumbataiensis sp. nov. shows a pear-shaped bulbar cavity with forked portions turned dorsally and a slightly bent bursal canal. Girardia nobresis sp. nov. has an ample bulbar cavity with numerous folds and an angled bursal canal. The two new species are categorized as troglobites and easily recognized by a unique combination of characters of their external morphology and copulatory apparatus. G. corumbataiensis sp. nov. occurs in a cave inserted in a protected area, but no effective action for preservation has been provided. This species is abundant in a single stream crossing the cave, which is subject to intensive visitation and control of bat populations, besides Eucalyptus plantations nearby. The type-locality of G. nobresis sp. nov., a single flooded cave near a municipal road, has no legal protection. There are impacts, such as intensive visitation for fishing and deforestation in its surroundings.

Systematics of the “Giant” Ricinulei (Ricinoididae: Ricinoides) of West Africa, with Descriptions of Five New Species and Comparative Morphology of the Male Copulatory Apparatus

The Ricinulei Thorell, 1876, or “hooded tick-spiders,” are among the rarest and least studied arachnid orders. RicinoidesEwing, 1929, the only Old World genus of extant ricinuleids, with 11 species described from tropical West Africa, is the most neglected of the three genera currently recognized. A lack of attention to the systematics of Ricinoides has created a disparity between its taxonomic diversity and that of the New World genera, CryptocellusWestwood, 1874, and PseudocellusPlatnick, 1980, in which many new species have been described in recent decades. The present contribution provides a revised diagnosis of Ricinoides, which includes two new, putative synapomorphies for the genus and addresses the systematics and morphology of a group of West African species, which includes the world's largest ricinuleids and the type species of the genus. This group of nine species, referred to as the “giant” Ricinulei, shares a unique combination of characters, many of which appear to be unique to the group, and appears to be monophyletic. Four species of this group are redescribed, with revised diagnoses, based on reexamination of the type material: Ricinoides afzelii (Thorell, 1892), from Sierra Leone; Ricinoides atewaNaskrecki, 2008, from Ghana; Ricinoides feae (Hansen, 1921), from Guinea-Bissau; and Ricinoides westermannii (Guérin-Méneville, 1838), from Togo. Five new species are described, raising the number of species in the genus to 16: Ricinoides eburneus, sp. nov., and Ricinoides taii, sp. nov., from Côte d'Ivoire; Ricinoides iita, sp. nov., from Nigeria; Ricinoides kakum, sp. nov., from Ghana; and Ricinoides nzerekorensis, sp. nov., from Guinea. Comparative illustrations of the adult morphology are presented for all nine species. The male copulatory apparatus is described and illustrated in detail, and new terminology and characters presented. The female spermathecae are described and illustrated for six species in which the females are known, representing the first illustrated comparison of these structures in African ricinuleids. Geographical distribution records are revised and updated for the different species, and their distributions mapped.

Remarkable sexually dimorphic features ofConiceromyia(Diptera: Phoridae): evolution in the light of phylogeny and comparative evidence about their function

AbstractConiceromyia is a genus of 100 species of phorid flies mostly distributed in the Neotropical region. The genus is distinguishable based on several male-exclusive features in different parts of the body, many of which are unique among the Phoridae. In addition, many species of Coniceromyia have nearly identical morphology of their male copulatory apparatus (i.e. hypopygium). The co-occurrence of these unusual characteristics suggests an evolutionary correlation between them. To investigate this possible correlation and to understand other aspects of the evolution of these puzzling male-exclusive characters, we performed the first phylogenetic analysis of Coniceromyia, based on morphological and molecular data. Ancestral state reconstructions and comparative analyses then allowed us to infer the evolution of these characters and search for general evolutionary patterns and correlated histories. We demonstrate that these male-exclusive features varied from highly homoplastic to uniquely derived on the phylogenetic history of Coniceromyia. For some characters, we found evidence of a biased evolution favouring gains over losses of the feature, but no male characteristics were significantly correlated with hypopygium morphology. The evolutionary patterns of the male-exclusive features and comparative evidence with other better known groups suggest possible functions for these features related to sexual selection.

Temporal shifts in ostracode sexual dimorphism from the Late Cretaceous to the late Eocene of the U.S. Coastal Plain

Ostracodes of the superfamily Cytheroidea exhibit sexual dimorphism in the carapace such that males are more elongate than females. This sex difference is attributed to the need of the carapace to accommodate the large male copulatory apparatus, and the degree of dimorphism is an indication of male investment in reproduction. In this study, we examine trends in sexual dimorphism, as a proxy for sexual selection, from the Late Cretaceous to the late Eocene to better understand the long-term effects of the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction. We used mixture models to identify sex clusters from digitized outlines of photographed specimens and estimated size and shape dimorphism as the difference in the mean log area and the mean log length-to-height ratio for male and female clusters. We found dimorphism exhibits a phylogenetic signal; families and genera tend to occupy various restricted subsets of dimorphism space. Previous work documented that the mean and variance in size and shape dimorphism decreased sharply at the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary, and here we show that this fauna only partially returns to Cretaceous dimorphism patterns by the late Eocene. Most surprisingly, species with both high size and shape dimorphism, which occurred in a diverse set of taxa before the extinction, remain rare into the late Eocene. These trends suggest sexual selection may respond to several possible demographic and environmental factors, which warrant further investigation.

A new species of alien terrestrial planarian in Spain: Caenoplana decolorata.

Terrestrial planarians found in a plant nursery in Spain in 2012 are described as a new species, Caenoplana decolorata. Dorsally they are mahogany brown with a cream median line. Ventrally they are pastel turquoise fading to brown laterally. Molecular data indicate that they are a member of the genus Caenoplana, but that they differ from other Caenoplana species found in Europe. One mature specimen has been partially sectioned, and the musculature and copulatory apparatus is described, confirming the generic placement but distinguishing the species from other members of the genus. It is probable that the species originates from Australia.