Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis, Dudas & Feijoo & Brown, 2025

Dudas, Rafaela Tavares, Feijoo, Alexander & Brown, George G., 2025, Four new large Glossoscolex (Clitellata: Glossoscolecidae) earthworms from Brazil, Zootaxa 5589 (1), pp. 301-320 : 302-305

Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis sp. nov. Dudas, Feijoo & Brown

( Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 )

Holotype. Brazil, one adult, Itatiaia National Park , Abrigo Rebouças grassland in the soil; 22°23’06.0”S, - 44°40’45.1”W;°; 2.380m asl; February 2009; S.W. James, G.G. Brown, S.K. Davidson, M.L.C. Bartz colls. Sample ID: BRRJ0065 ; deposited at COFM .

Paratype. Brazil, one adult, same locality of the Holotype; February 2009; S.W. James, G.G. Brown, S.K. Davidson, M.L.C. Bartz colls. Sample ID: MZUSP1588 (formerly BRRJ0066 of COFM) .

Other materials. Brazil, one adult, fragmented, and two juveniles, same locality of the paratype; February 2009; S.W. James, G.G. Brown, S.K. Davidson, M.L.C. Bartz colls. Sample ID: BRRJ0002 ; deposited at COFM.

Etymology. The name of the species is a tribute to the location of sampling, “Parque Nacional do Itatiaia” located on the border of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais States, and the first national park of Brazil. Itatiaia means rock with many sharp points in the native Tupi language, and the name is in allusion to the many rocky peaks in the region of the park.

External morphology. Holotype: body length 417 mm after ethanol fixation. Body mass: 45.52 g fresh weight (alcohol preserved). Number of segments: 461. Diameter: 15.4 mm in the pre clitellar region (segment X), 14.6 mm in the clitellum (segment XVI) and 13.9 mm in the post clitellar region (segment XXX). Paratype: length 211 mm after ethanol fixation. Body mass: 13.88 g, number of segments: 268. Diameter: 12.1 mm in segment X, 10.4 mm in the clitellum, segment XVI and 9.48 mm in segment XXX. Other material. Adult specimen, body length 321 mm, body mass: 40.4 g. Number of segments: 399. Diameter: pre clitellar 12.1 mm, at the clitellum (segment XVI) 15.7 mm and at post clitellum region ( XXX) 11.3 mm. Body cylindrical, brown dorsally, dark yellowish-brown ventrally, dark brown anteriorly ( Figures 1A, 1B ). Prostomium ebilobic. Setae closely paired, visible throughout, setae ab visible from IX onwards. Setal arrangement aa:ab:bc:cd:dd, 10:1:2:1.1:10.4. at segment XXXV-L. Clitellum in 1/3 XV–XXIII, saddle shaped ( Figure 2A ). Genital marks or tubercula pubertatis absent. One pair of male pores, on B line setae, on ventral position in XVIII 6.5 mm apart ( Figure 2B ). Female pores in XIV, visible on the paratype specimen, in setae line AB. Nephropores near AB line.

Internal morphology. Septa large, covering half of the internal portion, on segments XVII to XI and thickened on starting on segment VII, 7/8/9/10/11, strongly attached to the body wall, due the thickness of the septa. Gizzard in VI, with average size (width x length) of 3.2 x 4.4 mm. One pair of calciferous glands in XII ( Figure 3A ) of composite-tubular type, next to large dorsal blood vessels. Intestine begins in XV without different regions ( Figure 3B ) and with typhlosole on the beginning of the intestine, also starting in segment XV. Esophageal hearts in X–XI, and dorsal blood vessel visible in segments VIII–X and above the calciferous glands. Nephridia starting pre clitellar, in 10/11, close to the body wall and intestine, one pair per segment. One pair of testes sacs large in XI, below seminal vesicles. Seminal vesicles in XII, lobulate shaped stretching in two lines ( Figure 3B ). The left vesicle ends in XV and the right one ends in XX. Ovaries and ovarian funnels in segment XIII, with an iridescent colour. Spermathecae absent. One pair of copulatory pouches (bulbs, chambers) with oval shape in XVIII–XX, 1/3 XXI ( Figure 3B, C ).

Remarks. In one of the fragmented individuals (BRRJ0002), the setae arrangement was different from the ones on the holotype and paratype ( Figure 4 ). Despite measurements like the holotype and paratypes, the d setae started closely paired, and by the middle of the body there was not a defined arrangement. The other external and internal structures remain the same. Although Michaelsen (1918) and Righi (1971) reported variations in the setae arrangements of G. giganteus , there are several important differences between G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. and the former species that clearly separate the two species, e.g., the extent and position of the clitellum, the position of the male pore, copulatory bulb, last heart, and the testes sac.

When compared with Glossoscolex montagneri Righi, 1972 , the prostomium has a different shape ( G. montagneri is proepilobic), the setae arrangement is sigmoid and nearly straight, and the seminal vesicles can reach segments XXVIII or XXXVI. In all the specimens of G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov., however, the seminal vesicles do not extend beyond segment 22. begin in G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. the setae are visible in segment IX, whereas in G. wiengreeni (Michaelsen, 1897) the ventral setae commence in XIII and the lateral setae in XXIII. Another difference between the species is the shape of the seminal vesicles. In G. wiengreeni (Michaelsen, 1897) the seminal vesicles are bean shaped. In G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. the seminal vesicles stretch in two lines. For Glossoscolex klossae ( Righi, 1972) the main differences are the cylindrical shape of the copulatory bulbs and the position of the seminal vesicles, which like in G. wiengreeni extend across more segments than G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov.. Similar to G. montagneri, Glossososcolex amomee (Righi, 1971) differs from G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. on the shape of the prostomium (prolobic), and the color before fixation, (dorsally dark purple and ventrally gray in G. amomee ). The setae begin in segment XIII, and in this species, there are tubercula pubertatis in XX XXI–XL, XLII in the a region.

The cocoons are brownish yellow ( Figure 5A ), and the casts are deposited on the soil surface ( Figure 5B ). The habitat of the species appears to be the high-altitude grassland of the Itatiaia plateau ( Figure 5C ), and the individuals here were collected in the valley between the “Pico das Agulhas Negras” and the “Prateleiras”, near the “Abrigo Rebouças” at nearly 2,400 m altitude. The soil in which they were collected was very dark collared (black) and turfy, with high organic matter content. Two other authors had reported large earthworms from turfy soil at high altitude (2,200 m) in the “campos do Itatiaia” region ( Luederwaldt, 1927; Moreira, 1903). They had reported their specimens as Glossoscolex giganteus and as Glossoscolex wiengreeni (Michaelsen) , but these are doubtful identifications as Moreira (1903) found only juveniles (no adults), and the specimens of Luederwaldt (1927) were not identified by any taxonomist. The common habit of crawling on the soil surface after rains was reported by Luederwaldt (1927). Several new Fimoscolex species were found co-inhabiting these turfy soils with G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. and are described in Dudas et al. (2025).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult specimens of the holotype and paratype of Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis sp. nov. collected from digging in turfy black organic soil near the “Abrigo Rebouças” (A) and crawling on the surface of the soil (B) near the entrance to the park.

FIGURE 2. Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis sp. nov. Holotype, external view. A. Dorsal view (Segments I–XLV) showing the extension of the clitellum (Cl: XV–XXV). B. External ventral view of the male pores (MP) in the middle of the slight protuberance, in XVIII.

FIGURE 3. Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis sp. nov. Holotype, internal view. A. Emphasis on the left calciferous gland, segment XII. B. Overview of internal structures, with calciferous glands in XII, both seminal vesicles—XII–XV (left), XII–XX (right), copulatory bulb—XVI–XIX—below the left SV, commenceing in XIV and beginning of intestine in XV, above the dorsal vessel (DV). C. Copulatory bulb on the left side. CG: calciferous gland, SV: seminal vesicles, CB: copulatory bulb, In: intestine.

FIGURE 4. Glossoscolex itatiaiaensis sp. nov. adult specimen from other materials. Setae arrangement showing the pattern in lines ab and irregular arrangements in the D line.

FIGURE 5. A. Cocoons of G. itatiaiaensis sp. nov. B. Fresh casts deposited on the soil surface. C. Habitat of the species at 2,380 m elevation.