- Source: Paraparaba
Paraparaba is a genus of land planarians from South America.
Description
Species of the genus Paraparaba have a slender body with nearly parallel margins while creeping. The largest specimens may reach about 8 cm in length. Both sides of the body are slightly convex. The pharynx is cylindrical and the prostatic vesicle is extrabulbar. The copulatory apparatus has a permanent, protrusible, conical penis occupying the entire male cavity, which is unfolded, and the female cavity is rounded and filled with a multilayered epithelium.
Taxonomy
Species in the genus Paraparaba were first assigned to a genus named Paraba, of which the chosen type species was Geoplana multicolor Graff, 1899. However, this was based on specimens that are not conspecific with the holotype of Geoplana multicolor. An analysis of the holotype indicated that it matches the definition of the genus Geoplana and not Paraba. This made Paraba become a junior synonym of Geoplana and the new name Paraparaba was chosen to include species previously in Paraba.
Etymology
Paraparaba means multicolored, with many colors in the Tupi language. It is formed by a reduplication of the word Paraba meaning variegated, and alludes to the name of the species Geoplana multicolor, which was originally chosen as the type species of Paraba. The name could also be interpreted as coming from Greek para, beside, plus the name of the former genus Paraba.
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus Paparaba: