Sphalloplana (Sphalloplana) weingartneri Kenk 1970

Sphalloplana (Speophila) weingartneri Kenk, 1970

TYPE MATERIAL.—One set of 2 slides of sagittal sections, USNM 41181.

A description of this species was given by Kenk (1970), based on a single specimen. The description will not be repeated here, only the essential characteristics may be listed.

EXTERNAL FEATURES (Figure 23).—This is a rather small species, 6 mm long and 1.2 mm wide, white. Anterior end truncate, without auricles. The anterior border of the intestinal zone is rounded, without a V-shaped median recess. The pharynx is inserted somewhat behind the middle of the body. measuring about one-seventh the body length. The region of the copulatory apparatus is visible in life as a transparent field with an opaque spot in the center.

ANATOMY.—The deeply invaginated adhesive organ and the tall marginal epidermal cells with long rhabdites are typically developed. The testes are located both dorsally and ventrally. In the copulatory apparatus (Figure 55), the penis consists of a large, spherical, very muscular bulb (bp) and a small, rather slender papilla (pp). The vasa deferentia (vd) enter the bulb ventrolaterally. The penis lumen is divided into an elongated seminal vesicle (vs) with a secretory epithelial lining and a narrow ejaculatory duct (de) that opens at the tip of the penis papilla. The common oviduct (odc) empties into the posterior part of the male atrium (am), close to the gonopore (gp).

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY.—One specimen was collected by Lawrence Weingartner in Bronsons Cave in Spring Mill State Park, Lawrence County, Indiana, on 15 August 1969. Dr. Jerry Carpenter informed me that he obtained additional material of the species from the type-locality at a later visit (in 1970) and kindly sent me photographs of a sexually mature specimen.

TAXONOMIC POSITION.—Sphalloplana weingartneri appears to be rather closely related to S. pricei of Pennsylvania. It resembles it by the shape of the anterior end (absence of auricles), the location of the testes (dorsal and ventral), and the ventrolateral entry of the vasa deferentia into the penis bulb. It differs from S. pricei by its smaller size, the configuration of the anterior intestinal border, and particularly by the size relation between the bulb and the papilla of the penis.