[1] 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 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.

[3] Eight genera of Microplaninae are known:[1] Phylogenetic tree including the land planarian subfamilies after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008.

[3] Note that Spathula and Romankenkius belong to the Dugesiidae family: Dugesiidae Bipaliinae Geoplaninae Caenoplaninae Rhynchodeminae Microplaninae (Spathula + Romankenkius)