Diversity of land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) in Central America: annotated checklist with new records of native and introduced species from citizen science
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Neotropical ecozone is the most diverse region on the planet regarding land planarians. However, its northern part, especially Central America, has been only occasionally sampled, so its land planarian fauna remains mostly unknown. We compiled a list of records of land planarians in Central America, including both formally described species and records of undescribed species from literature and the citizen science platform iNaturalist. The compiled data includes at least 112 morphospecies, with 23 comparable to described species and 89 potentially new species. Four described and exotic species are recorded in Central America for the first time. Our survey demonstrates the high land planarian diversity across Central America, of which most species are yet to be described. We recommend joint efforts of local researchers with land planarian taxonomists to promote the study of this important invertebrate community.
Source: Zootaxa
Authors: PITER KEHOMA BOLL, MANUEL DE LUNA
Institutions: Universidade de São Paulo, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4414404115