Flabellodrilus luberonensis Gérard, Decaëns & Marchán, n. sp.

(Figs 3; 4)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7ACF81A1-FE52-4CB4-AC8D-9081EB9A5CB9

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. France • 1 adult specimen; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Vaucluse, D943, 84490 Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt, in the soil; 43°57’46”N, 5°20’13”E; 434 m a.s.l.; 25.XI.2021; T. Decaëns, D. F. Marchán leg.; MNHN (BOLD Sample ID: DFM-1016). Paratypes. France • 2 adult specimens; same data as holotype; Eco & Sols (BOLD Sample ID: DFM-1017, DFM-1020) • 2 adult specimens; same data as holotype; MNHN (BOLD Sample ID: DFM-1018, DFM-1019).

Other material. France • 8 sub-adult specimens; same data as holotype; Eco & Sols.

ETYMOLOGY. — The species name is derived from the massif of Luberon where the type specimens were found.

ECOLOGY. — F. luberonensis Gérard, Decaëns & Marchán, n. gen., n. sp. was found in a Mediterranean shrubland (garrigue) soil at low elevation (434 m a.s.l.).

DISTRIBUTION. — F. luberonensis Gérard, Decaëns & Marchán, n. gen., n. sp. is only known from the type locality, near the city of Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt, between the massif of Luberon and the Vaucluse mountains in the Vaucluse department (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France) (Fig. 5). It is located in the Luberon Regional Natural Park (Parc naturel régional du Luberon).

DESCRIPTION

External morphology (Fig. 3A, B)

Body shape cylindrical. Body pigmentation absent, mid-segmental dark dots in the cephalic region. Average body length after ethanol fixation: 80 mm (range: 70 to 100 mm; n = 3 adult specimens; holotype: 100 mm). Average body mass: 1.163 g (range: 0.855 to 1.398 g; n = 3; holotype: 1.398 g). Average diameter: 4.6 mm in the preclitellar region (range: 4.2 to 5.4 mm; n = 5; holotype: 5.4 mm), 5.8 mm in the clitellum (range: 5.2 to 6.8 mm; n = 5; holotype: 6.8 mm), 4.6 mm in the postclitellar region (range: 4.2 to 5.2 mm; n = 5; holotype: 4.7 mm). Average number of segments: 283 (range: 187 to353; n = 3; holotype: 309). Prostomium of closed epilobic type. Setae closely paired. Setal arrangement: aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 14:2:8:1:32. Clitellum in XXXII-XLII (XLIII). Genital markings in XI-XII, randomly unpaired in XXVI-XXVIII, intraclitellar in XXXIV, in ab. Tubercula pubertatis: protruding band in XXXV-XL. Male pores: one pair in XV. Ovipores: one pair in 1/2 XIV, at 1 × ab dorsally from b. Spermathecal pores not visible. Nephridial pores not visible.

Internal anatomy (Figs 3C; 4)

Septa: thickened from 5/6 to 9/10, otherwise membranous. Crop in XV-XVI. Muscular gizzard in XVII-XVIII followed by a membranous pouch in XIX, with an average size (width × length) of 3.55 × 2.10 mm. Calciferous glands: in X-XIV, forming a pair of spherical lobes in X. OEsophagus-intestine transition in XV.Typhlosole starts in XX, forming four folded lamellae. Hearts: in VI-XI. Excretory apparatus: one pair of holonephridia per segment, nephridial vesicles sigmoid with a sub-terminal constriction followed by a loop (Fig. 4). Seminal vesicles: two pairs in XI-XII, large and lobulated. Spermathecae: two pairs in X-XI, intracoelomic, sessile and double (Fig. 3C).

REMARKS

This species can be distinguished from its closest relative F. bartolii bartolii (Bouché, 1970) n. comb. by the position of its clitellum and tubercula pubertatis (Table 4) and by their remarkably high genetic distance (12.14% uncorrected pairwise COI distance).