Exotic catenulid flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Catenulida) and where to find them in a temperate climate – a field study in a botanic garden
- 1Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
- 2University of Warsaw Botanic Garden, University of Warsaw
Abstract
Catenulids are free-living flatworms, common in eutrophic freshwaters such as ponds, ditches, or peatbogs. Although the majority of the species have been described from warmer climates, most molecular studies have been done on animals from temperate zones in Europe. We addressed this gap by sampling for exotic species in greenhouses at the University of Warsaw Botanic Garden and recorded two species known only from tropical areas (Stenostomum paraguayense and Catenula evelinae) and one exotic species recorded previously from another greenhouse in Poland (Stenostomum corderoi). Additionally, in the latter species, evidence is provided for environmentally induced coloration of sensory pits. The collected species were placed on a phylogeny using barcoding of 18S, 28S, and COI genes and paraphyly of the family Catenulidae was retrieved, with C. evelinae forming a sister group to the genus Paracatenula. In total, six species are recorded, including three with a wide cosmopolitan distribution (C. turgida, S. grande and S. tuberculosum), and provided sequences for five of them, three of which had no previous molecular records (S. paraguayense, C. evelinae and S. corderoi). Greenhouses are confirmed as a useful source of exotic species for taxonomic work on microscopic invertebrates.
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BibTeX
@article{tratkiewicz2026exotic,
title = {{Exotic catenulid flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Catenulida) and where to find them in a temperate climate – a field study in a botanic garden}},
author = {Katarzyna Tratkiewicz and Monika Sysiak and Marcin Zych and Ludwik Gąsiorowski},
journal = {ZooKeys},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3897/zookeys.1296.210918},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1296.210918},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exotic catenulid flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Catenulida) and where to find them in a temperate climate – a field study in a botanic garden
AU - Katarzyna Tratkiewicz
AU - Monika Sysiak
AU - Marcin Zych
AU - Ludwik Gąsiorowski
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - ZooKeys
DO - 10.3897/zookeys.1296.210918
UR - https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1296.210918
AB - Catenulids are free-living flatworms, common in eutrophic freshwaters such as ponds, ditches, or peatbogs. Although the majority of the species have been described from warmer climates, most molecular studies have been done on animals from temperate zones in Europe. We addressed this gap by sampling for exotic species in greenhouses at the University of Warsaw Botanic Garden and recorded two species known only from tropical areas (Stenostomum paraguayense and Catenula evelinae) and one exotic species recorded previously from another greenhouse in Poland (Stenostomum corderoi). Additionally, in the latter species, evidence is provided for environmentally induced coloration of sensory pits. The collected species were placed on a phylogeny using barcoding of 18S, 28S, and COI genes and paraphyly of the family Catenulidae was retrieved, with C. evelinae forming a sister group to the genus Paracatenula. In total, six species are recorded, including three with a wide cosmopolitan distribution (C. turgida, S. grande and S. tuberculosum), and provided sequences for five of them, three of which had no previous molecular records (S. paraguayense, C. evelinae and S. corderoi). Greenhouses are confirmed as a useful source of exotic species for taxonomic work on microscopic invertebrates.
SN - 1313-2970
SN - 1313-2989
ER -