1 Topic by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Topic: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

Australoplana alba (Dendy, 1891)     TaxonVersionKey: NHMSYS0020784951 has the synonym

Australoplana sanguinea var. alba (Dendy, 1891)     TaxonVersionKey: NHMSYS0020503207.


Australoplana sanguinea (Moseley, 1877)     TaxonVersionKey: NHMSYS0020744893 has the synonym

Geoplana sanguinea (Moseley, 1877)     TaxonVersionKey: NBNSYS0000040820.


http://www.habitas.org.uk/invasive/spec … item=50004 says:

'The Australian flatworm was described by Moseley in 1877 from material collected in south–eastern Australia. Dendy later described a similar but paler species from material collected near Ballarat in Victoria. This was subsequently synonymised with Moseley’s species. The form found in the British Isles is closely similar to Dendy’s animal from Ballarat and is now called Australoplana sanguinea var. alba although Fauna Europea lists it (perhaps more correctly) as Australoplana alba'.

That would seem to indicate that the 2 dictionary entries should be synonymised.

(Why do I care?  I wish I didn't have to, but the Aussie has joined the Kiwi in my garden in N Scotland!)

M.

Syrphus's Website

2 Reply by ChrisR (edited by ChrisR 12-09-2012 17:45:21)

  • ChrisR
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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

Ohh, bad luck on the flatworm front ... I will have a look at this though and sort it out in the nameserver.

I think we will probably go with the FaunaEuropaea/PESI name but I will give you a breakdown when it has been done.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)

3 Reply by ChrisR

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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

Having double-checked a few catalogues it seems that we are already reflecting the accepted taxonomy:

Australoplana alba (Dendy, 1891)                 TVK: NHMSYS0020784951
=Australoplana sanguinea var. alba (Dendy, 1891)    TVK: NHMSYS0020503207
=Australian flatworm

Australoplana sanguinea (Moseley, 1877)             TVK: NHMSYS0020744893
=Geoplana sanguinea (Moseley, 1877)             TVK: NBNSYS0000040820

Both PESI and WoRMS list A. alba and A. sanguinea as distinct species. The only question (for all flat-worm experts put there!) would seem to be whether they both occur in the UK ... the only reason for synonymising one under another would seem to be if one was a misident perhaps ... ?

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)

4 Reply by Syrphus

  • Syrphus
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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

OK, Chris.  Brian Boag identified my specimens as 'Australian flatworm Australoplana sanguinea', so I suppose I need to ask him for the full name, author included.  If I find anything significant I will let you know.

M.

Syrphus's Website

5 Reply by ChrisR

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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

Hi Murdo

That would be really helpful ... we just need to know which situation we have in the UK, from someone who understands world flatworm taxonomy. If we really have one species (as per FaunaEuropaea - alba) then perhaps one needs marking as 'misident' but if we really have 2 distinct species (as per PESI & WoRMS) then we can keep them as they are.

Thanks
Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)

6 Reply by ser

  • ser
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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

I think the Australian Flatworm nomenclature is a MESS!

Recorder & NHM identify Australian Flatworm as A.alba, with no common name for A.sanguinea, but the list for the Wildlife and Countryside Act (Schedule 9) updated 2010 ONLY lists A.sanguinea, no mention of A.alba

Craig

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

ser's Website

7 Reply by ChrisR

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Re: Aussie Flatworm synonymy

Hi Craig

The taxonomy of this thing is pretty confused and I think the UKSI reflects that admirably! ;)  I remember going through this ages ago and eventually settled on keeping 2 concepts (alba and sanguinea) but, in the sense of the UK fauna, I think we just have the alba form of sanguinea so I could probably just synonymise everything into 1 taxon. That is, if the alba form is the only form we have here of the "Australian Flatworm"? :)

Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)