Phaenocora polycirra Beklemischev, 1929

Houben, Albrecht M., Steenkiste, Niels Van & Artois, Tom J., 2014, Revision of Phaenocora Ehrenberg, 1836 (Rhabditophora, Typhloplanidae, Phaenocorinae) with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3889 (3), pp. 301-354 : 340-341

Phaenocora polycirra Beklemischev, 1929

( Figs 12 C, 16F)

Phaenocora (Megaloderostoma) polycirra Beklemischev 1929: 533 –557, Figs 1 –11; Bresslau 1933: Fig. 269; Gilbert 1935: 285 –286, 297, 299–300, 304, 324, 338–340, 342, 346, 348–349, 352, 365, 371–373, 376–377, TextFig. 1F p21, table 1, 2; Gilbert 1938a: 205, 208, 213–214; Marcus 1946: 70, 72, 75, 164.

Phaenocora polycirra Gilbert 1937: 56 –57, 67; Gilbert 1938b: 220.

Megaloderostoma polycirra Korgina 2002: 1023 , Fig. 1 , table 1.

Known distribution: Perm ( Russia) ( Beklemischev 1929); pond in the vicinity of Kazan ( Russia), upper Volga river basin ( Russia) ( Korgina 2002 and references therein).

Material examined: None.

Diagnosis: Animals about 10–11 mm long, eyes without pigmentation, appearing as two whitish spots. Animals bright green if zoochlorellae are present, otherwise they appear colourless. Male copulatory organ of the duplex-type IIB, the muscular septum appearing as a cone with its apex pointing towards the seminal vesicle when the cirrus is invaginated, and with its apex pointing towards the cirrus when evaginated. This cirrus can be surrounded with several cirruli that have the appearance of semi-circles (that are all capable of evagination). Size of these cirruli increasing from the distal end of the evaginated cirrus towards the proximal end where complex, dichotomously branched flaps with long finger-like branches occur ( Fig. 12 C: bf). Cirrus bearing 5–10 µm-long spines. Male genital canal also with small spines (2 µm) at its dorsal side. Female genital system (probably) of the UNIPUNCTATA - type. Intestinal bursa communicating with the gut without a burso-intestinal duct. Female genital canal long. The oviduct opens between the genito-bursal duct and the female genital canal.

Remarks: According to Korgina (2002) the animals from the upper Volga river basin lack the small cirruli of the male copulatory organ, but do possess the dichotomously branched flaps, lined with spines that are unique for P. polycirra . If this is really the case, the population of the Volga river probably belongs to another, yet undescribed species. This should be checked, however, on new material before any taxonomical decisions can be made.

The presence of a genito-bursal duct is assumed based on Beklemischev’s (1929) statement that the female duct is divided into a proximal part situated between the ovary and the bursa, and a distal part between the ovary and superior genital atrium. Furthermore, he stated that the epithelium of the proximal part resembles the epithelium of the intestinal bursa, which is also the case in a genito-bursal duct. However, new material and investigations are needed to confirm this assumption.

Beklemischev (1929) described two uteri that enter the superior genital atrium at its lateral side, which both have a proliferation area resembling the pear-shaped appendages with its associated gland. In our opinion, and after interpreting Beklemischev’s (1929) Figures 10 and 11, these proliferating areas are the pear-shaped appendages.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Photographs of live animals A, P. evelinae. B, P. foliacea from South Africa. C, P. foliacea from India. D, P. aglobulata sp. nov.. E – H, P. gilberti sp. nov.: E – F, pigmentation of the head. G, male copulatory organ. H, female genital canal.