Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962

Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Sathrumithra, S., Anuja, R., Christopher, G., Thomas, A. P. & Julka, J. M., 2021, Three new species and four new species records of earthworms of the genus Moniligaster Perrier, 1872 (Clitellata: Moniligastridae) from Kerala region of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, India, Zootaxa 4949 (2), pp. 381-397 : 391

Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962

Moniligaster perrieri Michaelsen, 1907 sensu Stephenson, 1924: 322 ,”partim” ( Gates 1940: 496).

Moniligaster beddardi Gates, 1940: 496 .

Moniligaster cernosvitovi Gates, 1962: 355 , nom. nov. pro M. beddardi Gates, 1940 , non M. beddardi Rosa, 1890 , (now Drawida beddardi ).

Brief description. Colour deep bluish. Dimensions: 216–256 mm by 12.5–13 mm, segments 216–256. Spermathecal pores large transverse slits, at cd, at intersegmental furrow 7/8. Male pores paired, transverse slits, at media half of bc. Gizzards 4–5, in segments 15–22. Testis sacs in segment 10. Vas deferens coiled into a mass of hairpin loops, mass as large as or larger than testis sac, discharging directly at ectal end of the prostate gland; prostates vertical, U-shaped, capsule tubular with several, low, rounded nodulations. Spermathecal atrial glands in segments 7 and 8, duct of each atrial gland about one fourth the length of common atrial duct, which is stout and thickened entally.

Material examined. 2 aclitellates ( ACESSD /EW/786), roadside within tea plantation close to shola forest, Nemakkad (N10°08'39.85" E77°01'56.4"), Munnar hills, Idukki District, Kerala, India, 07 August 2017, 1973 m a.s.l., B. Balachandran and N.G. Vishnu .

Distribution. India: Kerala State: Idukki District: Nemakkad (present record) in Munnar hills ( Fig. 4 ). Elsewhere. Kodaikanal, Shembaganur in Tamil Nadu ( Gates 1940).

Remarks. The species is recorded for the first time from Kerala. It was previously known only from Tamil Nadu ( Gates 1940). In Kerala, it is confined to the higher altitude shola-grassland ecosystem of Nemakkad near Munnar.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of sampling localities of species of Moniligaster recorded in this study.