Phaenocora beauchampi Sekera, 1930

Houben, Albrecht M., Steenkiste, Niels Van & Artois, Tom J., 2014, Revision of Phaenocora Ehrenberg, 1836 (Rhabditophora, Typhloplanidae, Phaenocorinae) with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3889 (3), pp. 301-354 : 347

Phaenocora beauchampi Sekera, 1930

Phaenocora beauchampi Sekera 1930: 100 , Figs 1 –4; Gilbert 1935: 285, 293, 348, 352, tables 1, 2; Gilbert 1937: 67; Marcus 1946: 72.

Known distribution: surroundings of Brno ( Czech Republic) ( Sekera 1930).

According to Sekera (1930), P. beauchampi is about 0.6 to 1.2 mm long, with visible eyes but no epidermal pigmentation. The reproductive structures resemble those of P. unipunctata . The penis is a muscular protractile papilla without glands. The seminal vesicle is variable in shape. The vitellaria are branched and the genital atria are spherical. This species could very well be identical to P. unipunctata , but new material and investigation are needed.

Sekera (1930) stated that P. beauchampi is a pseudo-parasitic species because specimens were found on Daphnia . Probably these individuals were just feeding on Daphnia , as many other rhabdocoels do ( Dumont & Carels 1987).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Photographs of live animals A, P. evelinae. B, P. foliacea from South Africa. C, P. foliacea from India. D, P. aglobulata sp. nov.. E – H, P. gilberti sp. nov.: E – F, pigmentation of the head. G, male copulatory organ. H, female genital canal.