taxonID	type	description	language	source
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Setae lumbricin. Combined male and prostatic pores, paired at posterior ends of fine seminal grooves on segment 18. Single large oesophageal gizzard, in segment 5; oesophageal calciferous glands or calciferous dilations absent; supra-intestinal glands, typhlosole, and intestinal caeca absent. Micromeronephridia astomate, exonephric paired tufts in 2 – 10; several avesiculate, exonephric on the body wall in 11, and posteriad segments. Prostates tubuloracemose, elongated, strap-shaped, paired. Penial setae absent.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	etymology	Etymology. Aiyeriella, gender feminine, is named after the late Prof. K. S. Padmanabha Aiyer for his significant contributions to the taxonomy of earthworms in Kerala State, India, in the first half of the 20 th century	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	type_taxon	Type species. Aiyeriella quadritheca Narayanan & Julka, gen. et sp. nov.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	description	Description. External. Small to moderate-sized terrestrial earthworms (72 – 177 mm). Prostomium proepilobic. First dorsal pore in intersegmental furrow (4 / 5) 5 / 6. Setae lumbricin. Clitellum annular, on segments 14 – 17 (= 4); intersegmental furrows distinct or indistinct; dorsal pores occluded. A pair of combined male and prostatic pores at posterior ends of fine seminal grooves, on segment 18 in aa setal lines or slightly lateral to setal lines a. Female pore single, minute, conspicuous, on midventral line, presetal on segment 14. Spermathecal pores, segmental, paired, bithecal, or quadrithecal, at anterior margins of segment (s) 8 or 8 and 9, in a line or between setal lines aa. Nephridiopores not recognizable. Genital markings and penial setae absent. Internal. Unpigmented. Septa 5 / 6 delicate, 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 muscular, 9 / 10 – 12 / 13 slightly muscular. Gizzard well developed, muscular, barrel-shaped, in segment 5; calciferous glands, intestinal caeca, supraintestinal glands and typhlosole absent. Dorsal and ventral blood vessels unpaired and complete; supraoesophageal vessel single, in segments 7 – 13; paired extra-oesophageal vessels median to hearts, in segments 5 – 13; lateroparietal vessels, paired, recognizable in 14 – 19 segments, turning upward along the anterior face of septum 13 / 14 to join extra-oesophageal vessels in segment 13. Last pair of hearts in segment 12 or 13. Nephridia meronephric, micromeronephridia astomate, exonephric paired tufts in segments 2 – 10, several avesiculate, exonephric on the body wall in segment 11, and posteriad segments. Holandric; testis and funnels paired, free, in segments 10 and 11; seminal vesicles paired, in segments 11 and 12, those of 12 larger. Ovaries paired, in segment 13; ovisacs paired, in segment 14. Prostates paired, tubuloracemose, elongated, strap-shaped, prostatic duct muscular, vasa deferentia joining the prostate ducts entally at the glandular portion. Spermathecae each with a single, unilocular, diverticulum.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Western Ghats of Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts of the Kerala state in the south-western portion of peninsular India.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5573D41C74ACFAA0FE6AF8AA.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Aiyeriella gen. nov., falls in an Indomalayan group of meronephric megascolecid genera with lumbricin arrangement of setae, combined male and prostatic pores on segment 18, an oesophageal gizzard anterior to septum 5 / 6, without intestinal caeca, typhlosole, calciferous and supra-intestinal glands, prostate tubuloracemose, strap-shaped, and lacking stomate mega- and micromeronephridia in segments posterior to clitellum. The most similar genera to Aiyeriella gen. nov., are Lennoscolex Gates, 1960 and Comarodrilus Stephenson, 1915. The genus Lennoscolex Gates, 1960, has a complicated taxonomic history. Gates (1960) erected Lennoscolex, with Woodwardiella pumila Stephenson, 1931 as the type species from the Bhamo of Burma (now Myanmar). Gates (1972) stated that, its simplicity in the digestive system (perhaps primitive?) with a highly advanced sort of meronephry of the excretory system made this genus phylogenetically interesting. Nevertheless, Gates (1972) mentioned that the definition of this genus is incomplete. In the same works (Gates 1960, 1972), he suggested that south-western Indian species, such as, Notoscolex tenmalai (Michaelsen, 1910), N. minimus Aiyer, 1929, N. peermadensis Aiyer, 1929, N. travancorensis Aiyer, 1929, and Notoscolex kayankulamensis (Aiyer, 1929), appeared to be the possible candidates for inclusion in the genus. But he did not include them, because all these species needed accurate characterization of vascular, excretory, digestive systems, and prostate glands (Gates 1972). The recent global checklist of earthworms by Brown et al. (2022) does not consider Lennoscolex as a valid genus, and the two species included in the genus are kept under Woodwardiella Stephenson, 1925. Gates (1972) stated that the genus Woodwardiella is purely of Australian origin. However, according to Jamieson (2001), it is uncertain that the species credited to the genus Woodwardiella from south (India and Sri Lanka) and southeast Asia (Burma = Myanmar and Java Island of Indonesia) are congeneric with the Australian type species. Later, Blakemore (2013) affirmed that the Indian and Sri Lankan Woodwardiella species were moved to meroic Notoscolex and / or to Lennoscolex. The above-mentioned south-western Indian species of Notoscolex are retained under the genus Notoscolex Fletcher, 1886 (sensu lato) by Narayanan et al. (2016, 2023 a). Jamieson (2001) stated that the Woodwardiella species from Australia had the following excretory system “ nephridia exonephric, stomate, avesiculate holonephridia forming a single series on each side in c lines but (always?) replaced in anterior segments by tufts discharging into the buccal cavity or exonephrically in d lines ”. But as per Gates (1972), in Lennoscolex it is “ meroic, (in anterior segments?), behind the clitellum with one pair per segment of clusters of four to six small, exoic and astomate, parietal, and avesiculate nephridia ”. Hence, based on the key difference in the condition of the excretory system, herein the genus Lennoscolex is revived as a valid genus with two species assigned to it by Gates (1960), namely, L. javanica and L. pumila. Comarodrilus Stephenson, 1915 is a monotypic genus known only from the original description of C. gravelyi Stephenson, 1915. However, it is a poorly understood genus, and we were unable to find any individuals of it in our latest collections at the type locality. According to Gates (1972), it has racemose prostates and so belongs in the Megascolecidae. Further, he added that so little is known about somatic anatomy that the status of the genus and relationships of C. gravelyi are not determinable. Even so, at present, the genus Comarodrilus is regarded as a valid genus assigned in the family Megascolecidae in the recent global checklist of earthworms (Brown et al. 2022) as well as in the Kerala (Narayanan et al. 2016) and Indian checklists (Narayanan et al. 2023 a), Aiyeriella, gen. nov., can be distinguished from the closely related Indomalayan genera, such as Lennoscolex and Comarodrilus, by the characters given in Table 1.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	description	(Figure 1 A – D; 2)	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. Holotype: Clitellate (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI / WGRC / I. R. INV. 10328), Kottavasal (9 ° 4 ’ 17.4 ” N, 77 ° 12 ’ 24.5 ” E), 13 km from Achankovil and 85 km from Kollam (earlier Quilon), Kollam District, Kerala State, India, 474 m a. s. l., blackish loam soil in evergreen forest, 22 August 2013, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, Toms Augustine, S. Arun Sasi, S. Sathrumithra and Dinu Kuriakose. Paratypes. 5 clitellates (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI / WGRC / I. R. INV. 10329), same collection data as for holotype. Other material. 16 specimens altogether. 5 clitellates, 1 aclitellate (ACESSD / EW / 846), between Kumbhavurutty and Kottavasal (9 ° 4 ’ 26.7 ” N, 77 ° 11 ’ 26.8 ” E), Kollam District, Kerala State, India, 241 m a. s. l., disturbed evergreen forest with blackish forest loamy soil with rocks, 23 August 2013, collected by Dinu Kuriakose, S. Sathrumithra, S. Prasanth Narayanan, Toms Augustine and S. Arun Sasi; 4 clitellates (ACESSD / EW / 847), Pulachippara in Achankovil (9 ° 5 ’ 59.9 ” N, 77 ° 8 ’ 46.7 ” E), Kollam District, Kerala State, India, 288 m a. s. l., deciduous forest near to Tectona grandis plantation, with brownish hard soil, 23 August 2013, collected by S. Arun Sasi, Toms Augustine, Dinu Kuriakose, S. Sathrumithra and S. Prasanth Narayanan; 4 clitellates (ACESSD / EW / 848), Aluvamkudy (9 ° 16 ’ 7.8 ” N, 77 ° 0 ’ 16.8 ” E), Pathanamthitta District, Kerala State, India, evergreen forest stream side, blackish brown forest loam, 513 m a. s. l., 21 August 2013, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, S. Sathrumithra, Dinu Kuriakose and S. Arun Sasi; 2 clitellates (ACESSD / EW / 849), Karippanthodu (9 ° 8 ’ 55.2 ” N, 76 ° 52 ’ 34.4 ” E), Pathanamthitta District, Kerala State, India, 421 m a. s. l., Tectona grandis plantation with secondary growth, blackish brown loamy soil, 21 August 2013, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, S. Sathrumithra, Dinu Kuriakose and S. Arun Sasi.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Medium sized worm; length: 117 – 177 mm, width: 2 – 3 mm, 115 – 297 segments. Colour: light brown (unpigmented). First dorsal pore at 5 / 6. Clitellum annular, in segments 14 – 17 (= 4). Combined male and prostatic pores, paired, slightly median to a setal line, at posterior ends of fine seminal grooves on segment 18, just anterior to intersegmental furrow 18 / 19. Female pore single, median, presetal on segment 14. Spermathecal pores two pairs, close to midventral line, at the anterior margins of segments 8 and 9. Genital markings and penial setae absent. Gizzard muscular, barrel-shaped, in segment 5; intestine begins in segment 16. Last pair of hearts in segment 13. Holandric; testis and male funnels free, in segments 10 and 11; seminal vesicles paired, in segments 11 and 12. Prostates paired, tubuloracemose, strap-shaped, in segments 18 – 21, 22. Spermathecae two pairs, in segments 8 and 9, each with a shortly stalked club-shaped ectal diverticulum; duct about two-thirds the combined length of ampulla and duct.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	description	Description. External. Body light brown, anterior end truncate. Dimensions: Holotype: length: 171 mm, width: 2.5 mm at segment 13, 263 segments; paratypes: length: 117 – 177 mm, width: 2 – 3 mm at segment 13, 115 – 297 segments. Prostomium proepilobic, retracted. First dorsal pore at intersegmental furrow 5 / 6. Setae lumbricine; setal formula aa = 2 ab = 0.57 – 0.8 bc = 0.88 – 1.33 cd = 0.33 – 0.4 dd at segment 12, aa = 1.75 – 2.5 ab = 0.77 – 1.11 bc = 1.75 – 2.5 cd = 0.20 – 0.27 dd at segment 24. Clitellum annular in segments 14 – 17 (= 4); intersegmental furrows indistinct; dorsal pores occluded. Male genital field with a medium-deep longitudinal depression, occupying one-third of segment 17 and whole of segment 18; depression bordered by longitudinal ridges (Fig. 1 A). Combined apertures of male and prostatic ducts, paired, minute, slightly median to a setal line, at posterior ends of fine seminal grooves on segment 18, just anterior to intersegmental furrow 18 / 19; each seminal groove extends posteriorly, slightly diverge at about one third of segment 18 and converge posteriorly (Fig. 1 B). Female pore minute, single, on midventral line, presetal on segment 14. Spermathecal pores tiny, paired, between setal lines aa, close to midventral line, at anterior margins of segments 8 and 9, just behind intersegmental furrows 7 / 8 and 8 / 9. Genital markings absent. Penial setae absent. Internal. Unpigmented. Septa 5 / 6 delicate, 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 muscular, 9 / 10 – 12 / 13 slightly muscular. Gizzard well developed, muscular, barrel-shaped, in segment 5; oesophagus tubular, calciferous glands absent; intestine begins in segment 16; intestinal caeca, supraintestinal glands and typhlosole absent. Dorsal and ventral blood vessels unpaired and complete; supra esophageal vessel single, in segments 7 – 13; paired extra oesophageal vessels median to hearts, in segments 5 – 13; latero-parietal vessels, paired, recognizable in 14 – 19 segments, turning upward along anterior face of septum 13 / 14 to join extra oesophageal vessels in segment 13. Last pair of hearts in segment 13. Holandric; testis and male funnels (iridescent) paired, free, in segments 10 and 11; seminal vesicles paired, grape-like, in segments 11 and 12, those of 12 large. Ovaries paired, each with several egg strings in segment 13; ovisacs paired, in 14. Prostates paired, tubuloracemose, elongated, strap-shaped, constricted by septa, in segments 18 – 21, 22; prostatic duct muscular, S-shaped, narrowed before entering the parietes (Fig. 1 C). Spermathecae paired, in segments 8 and 9, each with a shortly stalked club-shaped ectal diverticulum (iridescent); duct longer than spermathecal diverticulum (Fig. 1 D). Meronephric; paired tufts of astomate, micromeronephridia with ducts in sheaves; larger enteronephric tufts in segment 5 with ducts discharging into pharynx and in segment 6 with ducts extends anteriorly, discharging into buccal cavity in segment 2; smaller astomate, exonephric tufts in segments 7 – 15, discharging through composite ducts in their respective segments; astomate, exonephric clusters of 14 – 17 micromeronephridia on the body wall in segments 16 – 18; transverse band of 10 – 12 astomate exonephric micromeronephridia on body wall, just posterior to septa on segment 19 and posteriad segments, one band at ac setal lines and the other just lateral to d setal line (Fig. 2).	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ quadritheca’ is a combination of two Latin words, ‘ quadri ’ and ‘ thecae ’, which means “ four thecae ”. It denotes the condition of four spermathecae in the species.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	biology_ecology	Ingesta. Mineralized soil, silt (alluvium), pieces of quartz, mica, and very little organic matter. Habitat. Evergreen forest, deciduous forest, and Tectona grandis plantation with secondary growth. The collection sites have blackish or brownish forest loamy soil. Ecology. Appears to be endogeic, as indicated by few organic particles and a large quantity of mineralized soil in the intestine. It was found associated with the endemic native Moniligaster blakemorei Narayanan & Julka, 2021, M. deshayesi Perrier, 1872, M. keralensis Narayanan & Julka, 2021, and exotic invasive Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) and Metaphire houlleti (Perrier, 1872) earthworm species at various collection sites.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	distribution	Distribution. India: Kerala: Pathanamthitta District: Aluvamkudy, Karippanthodu; Kollam District: Kottavasal, between Kumbhavurutty and Kottavasal and Pulachippara. This species is widely distributed in the hilly regions.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5571D41A74ACFC1DFE22F8AB.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Aiyeriella quadritheca Narayanan & Julka sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from the only other known species of the genus, Aiyeriella longiprostata Narayanan & Julka sp. nov. (described elsewhere in this paper) by the body dimensions (length: 117 – 177 mm, width: 2 – 3 mm, 115 – 297 segments vs length: 72 – 78 mm, width: 1.5 – 2 mm, 144 – 166 segments), number of spermathecal pores (2 pairs vs 1 pair), characteristics of the male field, segmental origin of intestine (origin in segment 16 vs 17), extension of prostates in segments (extending to segments 21 – 22 vs 20 – 27, 30).	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	description	(Figure 3 A – C; 4)	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	materials_examined	Type material. Holotype: Clitellate (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI / WGRC / I. R. INV. 10330), below Muttidichantheri in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary (8 ° 37 ’ 18.8 ” N, 77 ° 13 ’ 14.8 ” E), 12 km from Bonacaud and 68 km from Thiruvananthapuram (earlier Trivandrum), Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala State, India, 737 m a. s. l., muddy blackish brown forest loamy soil and decaying wood in evergreen forest, with, 3 October 2014, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, S. Sathrumithra and Dinu Kuriakose. Paratypes. 3 clitellate, 1 aclitellate (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI / WGRC / I. R. INV. 10331), same collection data as for holotype. Other material. 1 clitellate, 4 aclitellates (ACESSD / EW / 850), Ponmudi hill top (8 ° 46 ’ 6.2 ” N, 77 ° 6 ’ 33.9 ” E), Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala State, India, 1009 m a. s. l., evergreen ‘ shola’ like forest with blackish brown forest loam soil, 2 October 2014, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, Dinu Kuriakose, S. Sathrumithra and S. Arun Sasi; 1 clitellate, 6 aclitellate (ACESSD / EW / 851), Udiyankulangara (8 ° 22 ’ 37.4 ” N, 77 ° 7 ’ 32.7 ” E), Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala State, India, 41 m a. s. l., home surroundings with various grass species, lateritic soil with humus, 1 October 2014, collected by S. Prasanth Narayanan, Dinu Kuriakose and S. Sathrumithra.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Medium sized worm; length: 72 – 78 mm, width: 1.5 – 2 mm, 144 – 166 segments. Colour: pale reddish (unpigmented). First dorsal pore at 5 / 6, sometimes at 4 / 5. Clitellum annular, in segments 14 – 17 (= 4). Combined male and prostatic pores, paired at posterior ends of diagonally placed seminal grooves, lateral to a line; seminal grooves at centres of large ovoidal porophores on segment 18. Female pore single, median, presetal on segment 14. Spermathecal pores one pair, close to midventral line, in line with setae a, at anterior margin of segment 8. Genital markings absent. Gizzard muscular, barrel-shaped, in segment 5; intestine begins in segment 17. Last pair of hearts in segment 13. Holandric; testis and male funnels free, in segments 10 and 11; seminal vesicles paired, in segments 11 and 12. Prostates paired, tubuloracemose, strap-shaped, long, in segments 20 – 27, 30; penial setae absent. Spermathecae one pair, in segment 8, each with a shortly stalked club-shaped ectal diverticulum; duct about one-sixth the combined length of ampulla and duct.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	description	Description. External. Body pale reddish, anterior end truncate. Dimensions: Holotype: length: 73 mm, width: 2 mm at segment 13, 165 segments; paratypes: length: 72 – 78 mm, width: 1.5 – 1.75 mm at segment 13, 144 – 166 segments. Prostomium proepilobic, retracted. First dorsal pore at intersegmental furrow 5 / 6, sometimes 4 / 5. Setae lumbricin; setal formula aa = 1 – 1.33 ab = 0.71 – 0.75 bc = 1 – 1.2 cd = 0.34 – 0.37 dd at segment 12, aa = 1.2 – 1.67 ab = 0.77 – 1.2 bc = 0.62 – 0.8 cd = 0.26 – 0.28 dd at segment 24. Clitellum annular, on segments 14 – 17 (= 4); intersegmental furrows distinct; dorsal pores occluded. Male porophores paired, large, somewhat ovoidal, diagonally placed on segment 18 with posterior ends converging towards mid-ventral line; each porophore with a diagonal groove at the centre; combined male and prostatic pores, paired, minute, at posterior ends of seminal grooves, lateral to a setal line, slightly anterior to intersegmental furrow 18 / 19 (Fig. 3 A). Female pore minute, single, on midventral line, presetal, on segment 14. Spermathaecal pores, tiny, paired, close to midventral line, in a setal line, at anterior margin of segment 8, just behind intersegmental furrow 7 / 8 (Fig. 3 A). Genital markings absent. Penial setae absent. Internal. Unpigmented. Septa 5 / 6 delicate, 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 muscular, 9 / 10 – 12 / 13 slightly muscular. Gizzard well developed, muscular, barrel-shaped, in segment 5; oesophagus lightly enlarged, vascular in segments 13 and 14, calciferous glands absent; intestine begins in segment 17; intestinal caeca, supraintestinal glands and typhlosole absent. Dorsal and ventral blood vessels unpaired and complete; supraoesophageal vessel single, in segments 7 – 13; paired extra-oesophageal vessels median to hearts, in segments 5 – 13; lateroparietal vessels, paired, recognizable in 14 – 19 segments, turning upward along the anterior face of septum 13 / 14 to join extra-oesophageal vessels in segment 13. Last pair of hearts in segment 12. Holandric; testis and male funnels (iridescent) paired, free, in segments 10 and 11; seminal vesicles paired, lobulated, in segments 11 and 12, those of 12 large. Ovaries paired, each with several egg strings in segment 13; ovisacs paired, in 14. Prostates paired, tubuloracemose, strap-shaped, glands extend in segments 20 – 27, 30 (Fig. 3 B), constricted by septa; prostatic duct muscular, straight, narrowed before entering the parietes at posterior margin of segment 18, just anterior to intersegmental furrow 18 / 19. Spermathecae paired, in segment 8, each with a shortly stalked club shaped ectal diverticulum (iridescent); duct equal or lightly longer than spermathecal diverticulum (Fig. 3 C). Meronephric; paired tufts of astomate, micromeronephridia with ducts in sheaves; larger enteronephric tufts in segments 5 with ducts discharging into pharynx and in segment 6 with ducts extends anteriorly, discharging into buccal cavity in segment 2; smaller astomate, exonephric tufts in segments 7 – 16, discharging through composite ducts in their respective segments; astomate, exonephric clusters of 18 – 22 micromeronephridia on the body wall in segments 16 – 18; two transverse bands of 10 – 14 astomate exonephric micromeronephridia on body wall, just posterior to septa on segment 19 and posteriad segments, one band at ac setal lines and the other just lateral to d lines (Fig. 4).	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ longiprostata’ derived from two Latin words, ‘ longus ’ and ‘ prostata’, means “ long prostate gland ”, referring to the long prostate glands in the species.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	biology_ecology	Ingesta. Mainly silt, sparse wood particles, organic debris, and rootlets. Habitat. Evergreen, evergreen shola (a kind of cloud-forest of Western Ghats, see Bunyan et al. 2012) like forest and home surroundings with various grass species. Muddy forest loam and lateritic soil with humus. Ecology. Appears to be an endogeic species, as indicated by the few organic particles, the large quantity of silt in the intestine and the lack of pigmentation. At type locality, specimens were found in the mineral soil and in decaying wood. Small castings were present in the decaying wood. It was found associated with Dichogaster affinis (Michaelsen, 1890), D. bolaui (Michaelsen, 1891) and Megascolex insignis Michaelsen, 1910 at Udiyankulangara (ACESSD / EW / 851).	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	distribution	Distribution. India: Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram District: below Muttidichantheri in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Ponmudi, Udiyankulangara. It seems to be widespread equally from the low-altitude regions to the high-altitude regions. Endemic to the Thiruvanathapuram district (Fig. 5).	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
A44E878E5574D41974ACFAA8FB24F85E.taxon	discussion	Remarks. For the differences of A. longiprostata Narayanan & Julka sp. nov. from the only other known species of the genus, see the remarks section of A. quadritheca Narayanan & Julka sp. nov. described elsewhere in this paper. A detailed comparison of the characters of these two species is provided in Table 2.	en	Narayanan, S. Prasanth, Thomas, A. P., Julka, J. M. (2025): A new earthworm genus with two new species (Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from the Western Ghats mountain ranges of south-western peninsular India. Zootaxa 5575 (4): 520-534, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2
