Biggers Cave Flatworm
Sphalloplana subtilis Kenk, 1977
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Platyhelminthes |
| Class | Turbellaria |
| Order | Tricladida |
| Family | Kenkiidae |
| Genus | Sphalloplana |
| Species | Sphalloplana subtilis Kenk, 1977 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 16 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Spring on Biggers Farm, Fairfax Co., VA
Range
Known from one county in Virginia in the Other karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Virginia
Counties
- Virginia
- Fairfax
Karst regions
Other
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- USNM 53444 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Paratype ×2
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 3 |
3 cataloged lots in 1 collection. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.
Download all 3 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
NE Not Evaluated
Assessed in 1996.
NatureServe
G1G2 Critically Imperiled to Imperiled
Global rank last reviewed 21 August 2002.
Subnational ranks
- Virginia
- SH Possibly Extirpated
Ranks looked up 23 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Other resources
References
- Kenk, R. 1977a. Freshwater tricads (Turbellaria) of North America, IX: The genus Sphalloplana. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 246: 1–38. https://repository.si.edu/bitstreams/d38e70a7-fb46–474c-9ea0-f202898980ba/download. details
This account was last revised 28 August 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 23 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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