Amaga pseudobama
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| Amaga pseudobama | |
|---|---|
-_Amaga_pseudobama_(Geoplanidae).jpg) | |
| Amaga pseudobama photographed live in North Carolina. Dorsal view, the head is on the right. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
| Order: | Tricladida |
| Family: | Geoplanidae |
| Genus: | Amaga |
| Species: | A. pseudobama |
| Binomial name | |
| Amaga pseudobama Justine, Gastineau, Gey, Robinson, Bertone & Winsor, 2024 | |
Amaga pseudobama is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Geoplaninae.[1]
Amaga pseudobama is 19–28 mm in length. The body is broadly lanceolate with tapered extremities, the color is dark brown dorsally and light brown ventrally.
The authors of the species explained that "on the basis of examination of photographs of the live specimens only, the specimens were first considered as belonging to Obama nungara, a species originally from South America, which has now invaded a large part of Europe."[1]
Etymology
According to the authors of the taxon, the specific epithet "alludes to the species being initially identified from photographs as the darkly pigmented form of Obama nungara.[1]
Distribution
Amaga pseudobama was first found in 2020 in a plant nursery in Kinston, North Carolina, USA, in pots coming from another nursery in Georgia, USA. Specimens were also collected in Fort Myers, Florida, in 2015. Observations from citizen science suggest that the species could also be present in California and Texas.
The species is thus widespread in several states of Southern USA. Its origin is unknown, but it is known that members of the genus Amaga are all from various countries in South America.
Ecology
As other land flatworms, this animal is probably a predator of other small animals, but currently nothing is known about its prey.
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