Kaxdrilus Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez, 1994

Sherlock, Emma & Csuzdi, Csaba, 2013, Two new earthworm species from Belize (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (29 - 30), pp. 1911-1919 : 1912-1915

Genus Kaxdrilus Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez, 1994 Kaxdrilus sherbutti sp nov.

( Figures 1 , 2 )

Material examined

Holotype. NHMUK 2012.63 . Belize, Las Cuevas (16 ◦ 44 ′ N, 88 ◦ 59 ′ W) Leg. A. Hayward, 27. V.–17. VI. 2001.

Paratype. HNHM AF / 5560, one ex. Locality and date same as for the Holotype.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of the marriage between Ruth Sherlock and Wasim Butt.

Diagnosis

L. 45–52 mm, D. 2–3 mm. Number of segments: 127–129. Pigmentation alive unknown, pale preserved. First dorsal pore in 12 / 13. Clitellum 1 / 2 13–18. Female pores on 14 paired, in front of setae a–a. Prostatic pores 17, 19. Spermathecal pores 7 / 8, 8 / 9, spermathecae with finger-shaped ampoule, and an equally wide duct which bears two, opposite standing diverticula. Gizzard large in 6, last pair of hearts in 12. Excretory system holoic. Penial setae are of two types, larger L. 1.7 mm D. 0.075 mm, tip slightly hooked, ornamentation strong serration. Smaller L. 1.3 mm D. 0.03 mm, tip slightly bent ornamentation prominent serration.

External characters

Holotype. Length 52 mm, diameter 2 mm, number of segments 129.

Paratype. In poor condition, length 45 mm diameter 3 mm, number of segments 127. Colour alive unknown, pale preserved. Prostomium tanylobic, wide. First dorsal pore in 12 / 13. Setae all ventral, setal arrangement after the clitellum aa:ab:bc:cd:dd =4.5:1:5:1:22. Clitellum circular, extends over segments 1 / 2 13–18, on 13 slightly developed. Male field barrel-shaped, prostatic pores paired on 17, 19 in the setal line a. Male pores clearly visible in 17 / 18, in the seminal grooves. Female pores small transverse slits on 14 just in front of setae a–a ( Figure 1A ). Spermathecal pores paired clearly visible in 7 / 8, 8 / 9 in the setal line a. Porophores absent.

Internal characters

All septa membranous. A prominent gizzard present in 6. Three pairs of calciferous glands open ventrally into the oesophagus in segment 8–10, their size slightly decreasing backwards. Excretory system holoic, nephridial bladders lacking. Last pair of hearts in 12. Typhlosole due to the bad preservation of the intestine cannot be determined. Testes enclosed in large testis sacs in 10 and 11. Seminal vesicles present in 9 and 12. Those in 12 large racemose bulging up to the 17th segment. Seminal duct slightly undulated, discharging in the seminal groove in 17 / 18. Two pairs of tubular prostatic glands present in 17 and 19. Each prostate provided with a penial setal sack containing two different penial setae. The larger one about 1.7 mm long and 0.075 mm wide with slightly hooked tip. Ornamentation dense serrations ( Figure 2A, B ). The smaller setae about 1.3 mm in length diameter 0.03 mm tip slightly bent, ornamentation serrations localized on the ventral side of the setae ( Figure 2C, D ). Two pairs of spermathecae present in segment 8 and 9 with finger-shaped ampoule and an equally wide duct which bears two, opposite standing diverticula ( Figure 1B ).

Remarks

Kaxdrilus is a Central American genus distributed from Southern Mexico to El Salvador ( Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez 1994). From the seven species described so far [ K. cristalifer (Eisen, 1900) , K. hamiger (Michaelsen, 1911) , K. parcus Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez, 1994 , K. proboscithecus Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez, 1994 , K. salvadorensis ( Graff, 1957) , K. sylvicola Fragoso and Rojas-Fernandez, 1994 and K. tamajusi (Eisen, 1896) ], our new species is closest to K. salvadorensis ( Graff, 1957) ; however, it clearly differs from it in the shape of the spermathecae, the presence of two types of penial setae, in the number of seminal vesicles and furthermore in the position of the last pair of hearts.

Graff (1957) recorded the last pair of hearts for K. salvadorensis in segment 14, however, as he recorded the sperm funnels in 11 and 12 most probably Graff miscounted the segments and if the sperm funnels occupy their normal position in 10, 11 than the last pair of hearts is in 13.

Figures

Figure 1. Kaxdrilus sherbutti sp. nov. (A) Ventral view of the clitellar region. fp = female pores, mp = male pores, pp = prostatic pores; (B) spermatheca.

Figure 2. Kaxdrilus sherbutti sp. nov. (A) Larger penial seta; (B) tip of the larger penial seta; (C) smaller penial seta; (D) tip of the smaller penial seta.