Refton Cave Flatworm
Sphalloplana pricei Hyman, 1937
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Platyhelminthes |
| Class | Turbellaria |
| Order | Tricladida |
| Family | Kenkiidae |
| Genus | Sphalloplana |
| Species | Sphalloplana pricei Hyman, 1937 |
Synonyms
- Speophila pricei Hyman, 1937 (prior combination, CoL)
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 28 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Refton Cave, Lancaster Co. PA
Range
Known from three counties across two states in the Appalachians karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Maryland, Pennsylvania
Counties
- Pennsylvania
- Dauphin, Lancaster, Mifflin
Karst regions
Appalachians
Specimens
Type material
- Paratype
- USNM 20236 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Type
- USNM 20228 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 10 |
| Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard | 1 |
| Naturalis Biodiversity Center | 1 |
12 cataloged lots in 3 collections. 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 12 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
NatureServe
G2G3 Imperiled to Vulnerable
Global rank last reviewed 21 August 2002.
Subnational ranks
- Maryland
- SNR Unranked
- Pennsylvania
- S1 Critically Imperiled
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.
Threats
- Pollution -Sewage or Urban Wastewater
- Pollution - Commercial/Industrial
- Pollution - Agricultural & Forestry
Other resources
References
- Carpenter, J.H. 1970a. Systematics and ecology of cave planarians of the United States. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. 213 pp.
- 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
- Nicholas, G. 1960. Checklist of macroscopic troglobitic organisms of the United States. The American Midland Naturalist 64: 123–160. doi:10.2307/2422897
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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