Fimoscolex feijooi Dudas, James, Brown & 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 : 333-334

Fimoscolex feijooi Dudas, James, Brown & Bartz sp. nov.

( Figures 10 , 11 )

Holotype. Brazil, one adult, Resende, Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia National Park, high plateau grassland near the Abrigo Rebouças , in the soil; latitude, longitude: 22°23”5.58’S, 44°40”45.24’W; elevation: 2,380 m asl; 12 February 2009; S.W. James, M.L.C. Bartz, S.K. Davidson and G.G. Brown coll. Sample ID: BRRJ0053 deposited at COFM.

Paratype. Brazil, one adult, same collection data as holotype. Sample ID: MZUSP 6443 (former COFMBRRJ0054) .

Etymology. The species is named in honor of former Prof. Alexander Feijoo Martínez† from the Technical University of Pereira, for his outstanding contributions to earthworm ecology and taxonomy mainly in Colombia, but also in Peru, Venezuela and Brazil.

External morphology. Holotype: body length 55 mm ( Figure 8A , Figure 10 ), body mass 0.22 g after ethanol fixation. Diameter pre clitellar (X) 5.5 mm, in the clitellum ( XIV) 5 mm and post clitellar ( XXX) 4.6 mm. Number of segments 180. Paratype: length 44 mm, body mass 0.18 g after fixation. Diameter at X 3.4 mm, at XIV 3.7 mm and at XXX 3 mm. Number of segments 169. Body shape cylindrical. Body pigmentation absent. Prostomium prolobic. Setae begins on XII –XIII, gradually increasing AB from segment C and becomes larger after CXX. Setal arrangement at XXX-L aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 64:1:10:1:5. Clitellum in XIV – XXI, annular and very thin ( Figure 11A ). Genital markings are absent. One male pore mid ventral on XVII, in a slightly elevated dome ( Figure 11A ). Female pores on XIV, on ab setae. Nephridial pores at B line.

Internal anatomy. Septa 5/6 membranous on anterior end of gizzard, 6/7–10/11 muscular, rest thin. On 15/16 to 18/19 do not reach the body wall and are connected along the dorsal intestine, each with a large mid-dorsal acinous glump of tissue post septal, continuous with dorsal end of nephridia ( XII – XIX), each paired with iridescent masses of sperm. Gizzard in VI, large, with an average size (width x length) of 1.7 x 2.3 mm. Calciferous glands one pair in XII, composite tubular type, dorsally on the esophagus, with blood vessels on the lateral gland. Esophagus-intestine transition origin in XV, constriction, narrowing back to segment XXX onwards. Typhlosole origin in XV, laminar to XIX, then cupped folds. Hearts 10/11 lateral to esophagus. Excretory apparatus one pair of dorsal, vesiculated nephridia, all in intestinal walls. Nephridia in XII – XIX joined dorsally via acinous masses, each with sperm mass per segment. Testes sacs paired in XI. Seminal vesicles tubes through XII –XIII, then expanded back to segment XLVIII plus ( Figure 11B ). Long, simple, large body wall. Spermathecae absent. One copulatory bulb, rounded in XII –XIII ( Figure 11C ).

Remarks. F. feijooi sp. nov. exhibits considerable similarity to F. schmelzi sp. nov. in external characteristics such as size, clitellum shape, and male pore position. However, they differ in the quantity of testes sacs. In F. feijooi sp. nov. a pair of testes sacs occupy segments XI–XII, whereas F. schmelzi sp. nov. has an unpaired sac in XI. Additional distinctions are evident in the seminal vesicles and the copulatory bulbs. The annular clitellum of F. feijooi sp. nov. has similar extension (XV–XXI) to F. tairim and F. cunhai sp. nov. However F. tairim is much larger in size and has testes sacs only in segment XI (XI and XII in F. feijooi sp. nov.), and copulatory bulb in XV–XIX (XVII–XVIII in F. feijooi sp. nov.). Conversely, despite similarity in size, F. cunhai sp. nov. has only an unpaired testis sac in XI, while F. feijooi sp. nov. paired sacs occupying two segments.

Figures

FIGURE 8. A. Recently collected Fimoscolex schmelzi sp. nov. (left) and Fimoscolex feijooi n.sp (right) being prepared for dissection. B. Close-up of Fimoscolex schmelzi specimens.

FIGURE 10. Recently collected specimen of Fimoscolex feijooi sp. nov.

FIGURE 11. Fimoscolex feijooi sp. nov. Holotype. A. External ventral view with clitellum and male pore (MP) mid ventral of segment XVII. B. Internal view showing long seminal vesicles (SV). C. Internal view with emphasis in the copulatory bulb.