The subfamily Microplaninae was defined by Ogren and Kawakatsu (1988)[2] for land planarians with a short and cylindroid form, an anterior end that is blunt, eyes often small and subepithelial musculature weak. The male copulatory apparatus is often complicated and has a well-developed penis. The female apparatus is very variable, with or without a seminal bursa and with or without a connection with the intestine.
It was originally considered, based on morphological evidence, to be the sister group of the subfamily Rhynchodeminae.[2] However, recent phylogenetic analyses indicated that both subfamilies are not closely related.[3]
Phylogenetic tree including the land planarian subfamilies after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008.[3] Note that Spathula and Romankenkius belong to the Dugesiidae family:
^ abSluys, R.; Kawakatsu, M.; Riutort, M.; Baguñà, J. (2009). "A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)". Journal of Natural History. 43 (29–30): 1763–1777. doi:10.1080/00222930902741669.
^ abOgren, R. E. and Kawakatsu, M. (1988). Index to the species of the family Rhynchodemidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part I: Rhynchodeminae. Bulletin of Fujis Women's College. 26: 39-91.
^ abÁlvarez-Presas, M.; Baguñà, J.; Riutort, M. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny of land and freshwater planarians (Tricladida, Platyhelminthes): From freshwater to land and back". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (2): 555–568. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.032. PMID18359250.
