Glossoscolex (Assudrilus) carvalhoi Dudas, James, Brown and Bartz, 2025

Dudas, Rafaela Tavares, James, Samuel Wooster, Bartz, Marie L. C. & Brown, George Gardner, 2025, New earthworm species of Glossoscolex Leuckart, 1835 and Fimoscolex Michaelsen, 1900 (Clitellata: Glossoscolecidae) from southeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 5589 (1), pp. 321-345 : 325-327

Glossoscolex (Assudrilus) carvalhoi Dudas, James, Brown and Bartz sp. nov.

( Figure 4 )

Holotype. Brazil, one adult, São Paulo, Bananal, Ecological Research Station of Bananal , in forest soil; latitude, longitude: 22°47”53.34’S, 44°21”35.22’W, elevation: 1,212 m asl; February 2009; S.W. James, G.G. Brown coll. Sample ID: COFM BRSP0937 .

Paratype. Brazil, one adult, same information as the holotype, Sample ID: MZUSP 6438 (former COFMBRSP0939) .

Other material. Brazil, five adults and 2 juveniles, same location as the holotype, Sample ID: COFM BRSP0940 .

Etymology. The species is named after José Luís de Carvalho, manager of the Bananal Ecological Research Station for many years, who provided support for earthworm sampling, and many specimens of other Glossoscolex species for taxonomy.

External morphology. Holotype: body length 52 mm, body mass: 0.11 g after ethanol fixation. Diameter at segment X in pre clitellar region, 2.2 mm, 2.5 mm at clitellum, segment XV and 2.2 mm at post clitellar region, in XXX. Number of segments 200. Paratype: length 45 mm, after ethanol fixation. Diameter at X 2 mm, 2.2 mm at XV and 1.9 mm at XXX, number of segments 185. Body shape cylindrical, with pigmentation absent. Number of segments 185 to 200. Prostomium proepilobic. Setae ab commence on III and cd in IV. Setal arrangement at XXX-L aa:ab:bc:cd = 12:1:6:1. Clitellum in XV–XXII, saddle-shaped ( Figure 4A ). Genital markings absent. One male pore in XVII, consisting in a wide single opening with a white spot at mid-ventral position ( Figure 4A ). Female pore not seen. Nephridial pores on B line.

Internal anatomy. Septa 4/5/6 thin, with some white material, 6/7–10/11 muscular septa with normal attachments to body wall. Appearance of nephridia attached post septal. Gizzard on VI, with an average size (width x length) of 0.6 x 0.4 mm. Calciferous glands of composite tubular type, one pair, dorsal over esophagus. Esophagus-intestine transition originates in XV, till segment XXXV, blood vessels in the intestine wall. Typhlosole origin in XV, in cupped folds till segment XXXI ( Figure 4B ). Esophageal hearts in X– XI. Nephridia of IV– V enlarged, paired. Nephridia of XII –XV as big elongate sacs containing sperm internally ( Figure 4C ). One pair of testes in XI, mid ventral, inside a single sac, fused with anterior part of the seminal vesicles. Seminal vesicles on the left side extended to XXXIII, that of the right side folded within XII – XXI ( Figure 4B ). Spermathecae absent. One pair of copulatory bulbs, bean shaped in XVII – XVIII ( Figure 4B, C ).

Remarks: This is only the third species of the subgenus Assudrilus described, being the last one G. jimi Righi 1972 , shortly after the first species ( G. sacii Righi 1971 ) was described in Righi’s (1971) monograph on the Glossoscolecidae . The former species is known only from its type locality (Cedros, Santa Catarina state), while the latter is known from several locations in the mountains south of the city of São Paulo ( Brown and James, 2007), as well as a record from Rio de Janeiro ( Zicsi and Csuzdi, 1999), very distant from all other collection sites of this species. Glossoscolex carvalhoi sp. nov. appears to be smaller (40–60 mm) than the other two species of the

Assudrilus group. G. jimi was described with a length of 140 mm or more, while G. sacii measures 710–905 mm. The clitellum in all three species is saddle-shaped and begins in segment XV, but the male pore of G. carvalhoi sp. nov. is in segment XVII, whereas in G. sacii it is in XIX, and in G. jimi it is in XVII/XVIII. Additionally, the copulatory chambers differ among the species. In G. carvalhoi sp. nov., they are in XVII–XVIII, in G. jimi they are in segments XV–XVI to XVIII–XIX, while in G. sacii they are very large and long, and occupy from segments XVII–XVIII, XIX–XX, XX–XI to XXXIII–XXXIV.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Glossoscolex carvalhoi sp. nov. Holotype. A. External view showing the clitellum (Cl) and male pore (MP) in the middle of the opening. B. Internal view, with seminal vesicles (SV), copulatory bulb (CB) and typhlosole (Tp). C. Emphasis on the pair of beans-shaped copulatory bulbs in XVII and iridescence of the nephridia (Np), and in the red square the copulatory bulbs duct joined in the external male pores.