Eremidrilus allegheniensis ( Cook, 1971 )

Fend, Steven & Rodriguez, Pilar, 2020, New Eremidrilus species (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae) from western North America Part 1, species with two spermathecal segments, Zootaxa 4809 (1), pp. 111-131 : 124

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4809.1.6

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6E4829CF-1476-4FDB-941D-9EAFCA29D011

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4329189

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D287B7-A575-FFC2-FF7D-6E2CF076F8F1

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Eremidrilus allegheniensis ( Cook, 1971 )
status

 

Eremidrilus allegheniensis ( Cook, 1971) View in CoL

( Figures 9 View FIGURE 9 , 10 View FIGURE 10 , 11A View FIGURE 11 )

Trichodrilus allegheniensis Cook, 1971: 381–383 View in CoL ; Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 . Rodriguez & Giani 1994: 40; Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 .

Eremidrilus allegheniensis (Cook) View in CoL . Fend & Rodriguez 2003: 518.

Material examined. NMC 3471, 3472, 2 dissected paratypes from the type locality, Tennessee, Franklin Co., Round Mountain Cave , (7 miles Northeast of Still Fork, Alabama); in rimstone pool, 30 July 1967 .

Remarks. Eremidrilus allegheniensis was described in detail by Cook (1971), based on four museum specimens. A paratype (USNM 43491) was reexamined by Rodriguez & Giani (1994) and the holotype (USNM 43490) by Fend & Rodriguez (2003). The two additional specimens examined here confirm several characters that effectively distinguish the eastern North American E. allegheniensis from the new western species having two spermathecal segments. The allegheniensis atrium is more elongate and tubular ( Table 2), commonly extending into adjacent segments ( Fig. 9A,B View FIGURE 9 ; see also Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 in Cook 1971); it is densely covered by a thick layer of prostate glands in densely-packed, distinct clusters ( Fig. 10A View FIGURE 10 ), and the ectal end (at the base of the porophore) is somewhat muscular, then narrowing within the porophore. The vasa deferentia are free for most of their length, only penetrating the atrial wall near the apical end.

Some additional characters visible in the present material also appear noteworthy. The atrial epithelium of E. allegheniensis is thick (over 20 µm) and glandular ( Fig. 10A,B View FIGURE 10 ), particularly compared with that of E. artzaini , E. humboldti , and E. gilita n. spp. The spermathecae have sacciform ampullae, short ducts and unordered sperm, as in other species with two spermathecal segments ( Figs. 9A View FIGURE 9 , 10F View FIGURE 10 ); however, E. allegheniensis spermathecal pores terminate on distinctive papillae ( Fig. 10D,E View FIGURE 10 ). Among the other described Eremidrilus species, only E. felini Fend & Rodriguez, 2003 has strongly modified spermathecal pores, but those open within laterally placed sacs (see Figs. 13 f,g in Fend & Rodriguez 2003). A pair of large (copulatory?) glands, adjacent to the ventral chaetae in XIII ( Figs. 9B View FIGURE 9 , 10E View FIGURE 10 ) was seen in both E. allegheniensis paratypes examined here, and a smaller pair of similar glands was present anterior to the chaetae in XII. These glands are multicellular, with conjoined ducts terminating on a small secretory surface, and resemble copulatory glands in some other lumbriculid genera (e.g. Fend et al. 2015). They have not been observed in other Eremidrilus species, but also were not mentioned in prior E. allegheniensis descriptions.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Annelida

Class

Clitellata

Order

Lumbriculida

Family

Lumbriculidae

Genus

Eremidrilus

Loc

Eremidrilus allegheniensis ( Cook, 1971 )

Fend, Steven & Rodriguez, Pilar 2020
2020
Loc

Eremidrilus allegheniensis (Cook)

Fend, S. V. & Rodriguez, P. 2003: 518
2003
Loc

Trichodrilus allegheniensis

Rodriguez, P. & Giani, N. 1994: 40
Cook, D. G. 1971: 383
1971
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