Pontoscolex corethrurus ( Müller, 1857 )

Nxele, Thembeka C., 2012, The megadrile fauna (Annelida: Oligochaeta) of Queen Elizabeth Park, South Africa: species composition and distribution within different vegetation types, African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 543-543 : 550

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5733/afin.053.0207
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:93922FBA-820B-4130-B5B9-B40857C1576F
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E20E3C-986F-FFAD-FE2A-FDC821B7FA4A
treatment provided by	Felipe (2023-05-08 21:33:30, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-09 03:34:44)
scientific name	Pontoscolex corethrurus ( Müller, 1857 )
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Pontoscolex corethrurus ( Müller, 1857)

Lumbricus corethrurus: Müller 1857: 113 .

Pontoscolex corethrurus: Michaelsen 1913:422 ; Ljungström 1972 a: 7; Gates 1972: 54; Reynolds & Reinecke

1976: 6; Zicsi & Reinecke 1992: 157; Plisko 1998: 292; 2000: 77; 2001: 323–334; 2003: 290,

292; 2010: 294; Dlamini 2002: 62; Horn et al. 2007: 175.

Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) corethrurus: Moreno 2004: 163 .

Type locality: Possibly in Amazonian Brazil .

Description:

External: Body length 60–75 mm, width 3–4 mm. Number of segments 193–210. Prostomium epilobous, often invaginated inside first segment. Setae closely paired in four rows on anterior part; the distance between ab or cd setae showed some variation on the posterior part of the body; approximately the last quarter of the body showed a quincunx arrangement. Clitellum-saddle shaped on 15–21. Tubercula pubertatis as smooth bands on 19–21. Female and male pores not seen.

Internal: Septa 6/7–9/10 thickened. Gizzard in 6. Calciferous glands in 7, 8 & 9. Intestinal origin in 15. Holandric. Spermathecae club-shaped, paired in 7–9.

Material examined: 49 cl., 104 juv.:Woodland, on the side of the road near fence (29°34.810'S 30°19.217'E), 23.ii.2012, 1 cl., 2 juv., NMSA /Olig.06163; 10 juv., NMSA /Olig.06164; Woodland, near Nursery (29°33.867'S 30°19.106'E), 3087 ft, 23.ii.2012, 5 cl., 2 juv., NMSA /Olig.06091; 7 cl., 15 juv., NMSA /Olig.06090; Indigenous Bush (29°34.357'S 30°19.399'E), 22.ii.2012, 4 cl., 34 juv., NMSA /Olig.06117; Indigenous Bush, big trees, soft moist soil (29°34.219'S 30°19.177'E), 3105 ft, 22.ii.2012, 15 cl., 19 juv., NMSA /Olig.06165; Indigenous Bush, big trees, wet soil, dense cover, (29°34.151'S 30°19.263'E), 2996 ft, 22.ii.2012, 3 cl., 6 juv., NMSA /Olig.06166; 14 cl., 7 juv., NMSA /Olig.06167; Grassland, patch with shrubs and a few trees (29°33.969'S 30°19.188'E), 7.i.2012, 9 juv., NMSA /Olig.06143 GoogleMaps .

Remarks: This species is known to be widely distributed all over the world, having been spread intentionally by man or unintentionally by passive transport or natural dispersal into acceptable biotopes. It has been commonly recorded in agricultural fields ( Fragoso et al. 1999). In South Africa, it was reported from seven provinces: LP, MP, KZN, EC, WC, GP, NW ( NMSAD). It occurs in most habitats (Plisko 2001, 2010), and Ljungström (1972 a) noted large populations in coastal sugarcane plantations.

References

DLAMINI, T. C. 2002. Influence of land use on soil organic matter status, microbial biomass C and size and composition of earthworm communities in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Unpublished MSc dissertation. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal.

FRAGOSO, C., KANYONYO, J., MORENO, A., SENAPATI, B. K., BLANCHART, E. & RODRIGUEZ, C. 1999. A survey of tropical earthworms: taxonomy, biogeography and environmental plasticity. In: Lavelle, P., Brussaard, L. & Hendrix, P. F., eds, Earthworm management in tropical agroecosystems. Wallingford, UK: CABI, pp. 1 - 26.

HORN, J. L., PLISKO, J. D. & HAMER, M. L. 2007. The leaf-litter earthworm fauna (Annelida: Oligochaeta) of forests in Limpopo Province, South Africa: diversity, communities and conservation. African Zoology 42 (2): 172 - 179.

LJUNGSTROM, P. O. 1972 a. Introduced earthworms of South Africa. On their taxonomy, distribution, history of introduction and on the extermination of endemic earthworms. Zoologische Jahrbucher, Abteilung fur Systematik 99: 1 - 81.

MORENO, A. G. 2004. Who is Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) corethrurus (Muller, 1857) (Annelida, Glossoscolecidae)? In: Moreno, A. G. & Borges, S., eds, Advances in earthworm taxonomy (Annelida: Oligochaeta). Madrid: Editorial Complutense, S. A., pp. 63 - 73.

MULLER, F. 1857. Lumbricus corethrurus, Burstenschwanz. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte 23: 113 - 116.

REYNOLDS, J. W. & REINECKE, A. J. 1976. A preliminary survey of the earthworms of the Kruger National Park, South Africa (Oligochaeta: Glossoscolecidae, Megascolecidae and Octochaetidae). Wetenskaplike Bydraes van die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoer Onderwys, Reeks B: Natuurwetenskappe 89: 1 - 19.

ZICSI, A. & REINECKE, A. J. 1992. Regenwurmer aus dem Kruger National Park in Sud-Afrika (Oligochaeta: Eudrilidae). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 38 (1 - 2): 149 - 158.