identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
5C6487B29939FFA3FF654351FDDB8767.text	5C6487B29939FFA3FF654351FDDB8767.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Metaphire manipurensis Tiwari & Yadav 2025	<div><p>Metaphire manipurensis Tiwari &amp; Yadav sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 308905B1-AB28-46ED-852B-DEB96A3A5C12</p><p>Material examined:   Holotype: One clitellate worm (2–3 segment removed to obtain DNA from the posterior region) MNP17-1154-47A3, (reg no— ZSI CZRC T/20), natural forests location coordinates-24º83'76"N; 93º87'4"E, elevation- 844.306m,  Lamdeng Makhaleikai Forest Range, Manipur, collected on- 12 th of October, 2017 ;  Paratypes: One mature worm (caudal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-988-39A5, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016015), location coordinates-24º37'28"N; 93º70'97"E, Churachandpur, Manipur, collected on- 6 th of October, 2017;  One mature worm (caudal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-1052-42A11, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016016), location coordinates-24º25'42"N; 94º29'92"E, elevation 418.8m,  Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Manipur, collected on- 8 th of October, 2017;  One mature worm (anal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-1155-47 A4, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016017), data same as for holotype;  Other examined specimens are- one clitellate worm (anal part taken for DNA extraction) MNP17-940-36A2, location coordinates-24º54'75"N; 93º85'21"E, elevation 748.903m,  Keibul Lamjao National Park, Bishnupur, Manipur, collected on- 3 rd of October 2017;  one clitellate worm (caudal part taken for DNA extraction) each, MNP17-986-39A3, MNP17-991-39A8, data same as paratype MNP17-988-39A5; one clitellate worm (caudal part taken for DNA extraction)  MNP17-1141- 46A5,  Paddy fields, location coordinates-24º83'59"N; 93º95'00"E, elevation 815.655m, Heingang, close to  Imphal river, Manipur, collected on- 12 th of October, 2017;  One complete worm each of MNP17-1154-47A3, MNP17-1155- 47A4, and one clitellate worm (caudal part taken for DNA extraction) MNP17-1170-47A20, data same as holotype; one clitellate worm (caudal part taken for DNA extraction)  MNP17-1084-44A10, location coordinates-24º38'31"N; 94º14'92"E,  Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Tengnoupal, Manipur, collected on- 10 th of October, 2017; collected by- Shweta Yadav  .</p><p>Diagnosis: Mature specimen dimensions ranges from 80–210 mm Length, 4.5–4.8 mm width, segments 61– 123. Prostomium open-epilobic. The first dorsal pore is located in segments xi/xii, while the male pores are situated within a copulatory pouch in segment xviii. The intersegmental furrow of vi/vii/viii/ix contains three pairs of spermathecal pores, situated lateroventrally. Intestinal caeca originate in segment xxvii. Holandric. Prostate glands racemose. Spermathecae uni-diverticulate, nephridia on spermathecal duct absent. Stalked genital marking glands present near spermathecae.</p><p>Description: Length 80–210 mm, diameter 4.5–4.8 mm, segments 61–123 (n=11). Live worm with dark pigmented discrete clitellum.Dark pigmented dorsum, ventrally pale, unpigmented equators. Discrete intersegmental furrow visible only in the preclitellar region. Prostomium open epilobic (Fig. 2a). Setae evenly distributed around segmental equators, the number of setae on vii-31, xx-48, with dorsal and ventral gaps while dorsal gap is relatively wider. First dorsal pore on xi/xii. Spermathecal pore three pairs in intersegmental furrow of vi/vii/viii/ix; ventral distance between spermathecal pores approximately 0.43x body circumference with slight thickened lips (Fig. 2b). The clitellum forms an annular covering spanning three segments, from xiv to xvi. Female pore single median on segment xiv. Male pore in copulatory pouches on xviii opens with transverse slit-like aperture, 0.27x the circumference apart ventrally (Fig. 2c). Additionally, there are 12–14 setae located between the male pores. In the male genital region segment xviii expanded laterally, a specific oblong shape in all collected specimens, epidermis surrounding the male pore wrinkled. Genital marking absent.</p><p>Septa 5/6 membranous, 6/7, 7/8 thickened, 8/9, 9/10 lacking, 10/11, 11/12, 12/13, 13/14 slight muscular and 14/15, 15/16 membranous. Dense tufts of nephridia in 4/5 and 5/6 on anterior faces of body wall, the nephridia of the intestinal segments are positioned on the body wall at both the anterior and posterior faces of the septa. Gizzard large in segment ix–x. Intestine begins in segment xiv, while the caeca originate in segment xxvii and extend up to segment xxii (Fig. 2e). Heart located in segments xi–xiii. Ovaries and funnels are free in segment xiii. Spermathecae three pairs, post septal, nephridia on parieties near spermathecal duct apprehends the presence of nephridia on spermathecal duct, ampulla obovate or ovate with narrower fissured base, duct stout, conical, muscular with flat top, a stalked diverticulum is connected to the ectal part of the duct, long stalk terminating in a zigzag looped swollen receptacle (Fig. 2f,g). Male sexual system holandric, with testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs located in segments x and xi. Seminal vesicles situated in segments xi and xii, while the vas deferens is slender and attached to the body wall on its way to the ental end of the prostatic ducts. Prostates lie in segments xvii to xxi, each consisting of a single, dense, racemose mass (Fig. 2d). A long, curved duct enters the lateral margin of the copulatory bursa. Paired small oval copulatory bursae present in segment xviii, each with two pads; the anterior pad bifurcated, posterior pad enlarged. Both pads contain a small lumen within glandular tissue. Penis absent. Genital marking glands club-shaped (cylindrical and enlarged gradually towards the end) long, stalked, two in vii, viii, and one in xi, buried in parietes (Fig. 2g).</p><p>Etymology: Named after the state of Manipur, where the species is widely distributed.</p><p>Variations: Minor, discrepancies were found in the structure of male pores; in holotype the aperture is transverse slit, whereas in the paratypes (MNP17-988-39A5, MNP17-1155-47A4) it was round shaped. Another variation observed was the presence of a slightly long, straight spermathecal duct in one of the paratype (MNP17-1052- 42A11).</p>ampulla oval, with relatively larger swollen spermathecal duct; diverticulum enlarged with looped end.ampulla saclike, shortly ovoid in shape, duct moderately stout not shining, diverticulum long and thin, and irregularly twisted.spermathecae small, duct almost confined to the parietes, diverti culum long looped or zigzag.ampulla is longer than the duct, diverticulum composed of a thick-walled stalk.duct is short, diverticulum bent into a series of zigzag loops.ampulla pear shape, diverticulum zigzagsmall, diverticulum tubularampulla mushroom-shaped with longitudinal grooves on the surface, L-shaped diverticulum.<p>......continued on the next page</p><p>Remark: This sexthecal species, distinguished by spermathecal pores on segments 6/7–8/9 and the absence of postclitellar genital markings, is a member of the  houlleti species group, one of the largest within  Metaphire . Sims &amp; Easton (1972) originally described 40 species in this group, though nine were subsequently synonymized with  M. houlleti (Tiwari et al. 2024b) . In recent years, six additional species have been incorporated into the  houlleti group, restoring the group’s total to approximately 40 species (Bantaowong et al. 2016, Ng et al. 2018, Nguyen et al. 2022, Chanabun et al. 2023, Jin et al. 2024). Thirteen of these have been documented in India and neighboring countries of Southeast Asia, namely:  M. harrietensis (Stephenson 1925) and  M. scitula (Gates1936) from India,  M. umbraticola (Gates 1932), and  M. quadrigemina (Gates 1932) from Myanmar;  M. amplectens (Michaelsen 1934),  M. dawydovi (Michaelsen 1934) and  Metaphire acampanulata Nguyen, Ly, Lam, Nguyen &amp; Nguyen, 2022 from Vietnam;  M. perichaeta (Beddard 1900),  M. virgo (Beddard 1900),  M. khaoluangensis Bantaowong &amp; Panha, 2016,  M. khaochamao Bantaowong &amp; Panha, 2016 and  Metaphire songkhramensis Chanabun &amp; Panha, 2023 from Thailand; and  M. houlleti (Perrier 1872), which is widespread in East and South-East Asia.</p><p>The newly described species,  M. manipurensis, shares similarities in body size and dimensions with  M. scitula,  M. perichaeta,  M. virgo,  M. acampanulata, and  M. quadrigemina . However, the novel species  M. manipurensis differs from  M. amplectens in body size, with  M. amplectens being smaller (body length 44–52 mm, diameter 2½–3½ mm, and 90–112 segments).  M. manipurensis can be easily distinguished from other species within the group by the position of the first dorsal pore, which in  M. manipurensis is located at segment 11/12. In contrast, the dorsal pore is positioned at 12/ 13 in  M. harrietensis,  M. scitula,  M. quadrigemina,  M. songkhramensis,  M. khaoluangensis,  M. khaochamao, and  M. perichaeta, while in  M. houlleti and  M. hijauensis, it is found at 9/10 and 10/11, respectively.</p><p>The intestinal origin also provides a distinguishing feature. In  M. manipurensis, the intestine begins at segment xiv, compared to segment xv in  M. houlleti,  M. harrietensis,  M. umbraticola,  M. songkhramensis,  M. khaoluangensis,  M. khaochamao,  M. acampanulata, and  M. hijauensis, and segment xvi in  M. scitula,  M. quadrigemina, and  M. perichaeta .</p><p>The structure of the intestinal caeca further distinguishes  M. manipurensis . In the new species, the caeca originate in segment xxvii and extend to segment xxii, while in  M. houlleti,  M. quadrigemina, and  M. virgo, they extend from xxvii to xxv. In  M. umbraticola,  M. perichaeta,  M. acampanulata, and  M. hijauensis, they extend from xxvii to xxiv.</p><p>Additional unique characteristics of  M. manipurensis include a transverse slit-like male pore aperture, distinguishing it from the C-shaped opening of  M. houlleti . Moreover, the male genital region in segment xviii exhibits lateral expansion, with genital marking glands embedded in the parietes near the spermathecae, unlike  M. houlleti, where these glands are attached to the spermathecae.</p><p>While the male pore of  M. manipurensis resembles the transverse slit-like opening seen in  M. scitula and  M. quadrigemina, the absence of genital marking glands near the spermathecae differentiates these species. Furthermore, the spermathecae of  M. manipurensis, characterized by their obovate or ovate ampulla with a fissured base and stout, conical muscular duct with a flat top, is a distinctive feature within the group. It also differs from  M. dawydovi, which has flask-shaped ampullae with a small diverticulum.</p><p>A detailed comparison of morphological characters between the  M. manipurensis sp. nov. and other closely related species are presented (Table 2).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5C6487B29939FFA3FF654351FDDB8767	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Tiwari, Nalini;Shilpi, Kaushik;James, Samuel W.;Gupta, Neelima;Yadav, Shweta	Tiwari, Nalini, Shilpi, Kaushik, James, Samuel W., Gupta, Neelima, Yadav, Shweta (2025): Three Novel Species of Earthworms of Genus Metaphire Sims and Easton, 1972 from Manipur, India. Zootaxa 5589 (1): 166-189, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14
5C6487B29932FFA1FF654363FCCC83A3.text	5C6487B29932FFA1FF654363FCCC83A3.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Metaphire churachandpurensis Tiwari & Yadav, 2025 2025	<div><p>Metaphire churachandpurensis Tiwari &amp; Yadav sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 32CB3017-38A8-470F-B09B-6B76F364E543</p><p>Material examined:   Holotype: One clitellate worm (2–3 segment removed to obtain DNA from the posterior region) MNP17-984-39A1, (reg no— ZSI CZRC T/23), location coordinates- 24º37'28"N; 93º70'97"E,  Churachandpur, Manipur, India, collected on- 6 th of Oct, 2017, collected by Shweta Yadav.  Paratypes: One mature worm (caudal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-987-39A4, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016018), data same as holotype;  One mature worm (caudal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-1057-42A16, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016019), location coordinates- 24º25'42"N; 94º29'92"E, 418.8m height,  Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Manipur, collected on- 8 th of Oct, 2017, collected by Shweta Yadav;   One mature worm (caudal segment taken for DNA extraction), MNP17-1146-46A10, (reg no. DHSGV-ZDM- 272016020), location coordinates- 24º83'59"N; 93º95'00"E, 815.655m height,  Heingang,  Paddy fields close to Imphal river, Manipur, India, collected on- 12 th of Oct, 2017, collected by Shweta Yadav.   Other examined specimens are- MNP17-1050-42A9, location coordinates-24º25'42"N; 94º29'92"E, 418.8m height,  Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Manipur, India, collected on- 8 th of Oct, 2017;   MNP17-1140-46A4, location coordinates-24º83'59"N; 93º95'00"E, 815.655m height,  Heingang,  Paddy fields close to Imphal river, Manipur, India, collected on- 12 th of Oct, 2017; collected by Shweta Yadav.</p><p>Diagnosis: Species dimension ranges from 105–210 mm length, 4.5–6mm width, segments 79–119. Prostomium open-epilobic. The first dorsal pore is located in segments xi/xii, while male pores are present in copulatory pouch in segment xviii. Presence of 6–8 stalked genital marking glands present on copulatory bursae. Intestinal caeca originate in segment xxvii. Holandric. Prostate glands racemose. Spermathecal pore and spermathecae absent.</p><p>Description: Length 105–210mm, diameter 4.5–6mm, segments 79–119 (N=7). Dark pigmented dorsum, ventrally pale. Prostomium open epilobic (Fig. 3a). First dorsal pore xi/xii. Clitellum annular covering xiv–xvi, prominently demarcated, deep bluish brown. Setae ventrally enlarged while the ventral-most exceptionally enlarged, the number of setae on vii-33, xx-50. Female pore on xiv, surrounded by two light-colored circles, separated by fine dark ring. Male genital region annular, male pore in a copulatory pouch, opens with vertical slit-like aperture, 4.5mm (0.22–0.23x body circumference) apart ventrally, opening shape varies a little in paratypes (Fig. 3b). Aperture surrounded by the fissured margin. Little epidermal contraction around the copulatory pouch.</p><p>Septa 5/6/7/8–11/12/13/14 thinly muscular, 9/10/11 absent. Dense tufts of nephridia found on the anterior faces of segments 5/6, nephridia of intestinal segments mainly located on the body wall at the anterior and posterior faces of septa, at the junction of septum/body wall. Large gizzard in segments ix to x; esophageal lamellae absent. Intestine originates in segment xiv, caeca originate in segment xxvii, extending forward to segment xxiv, ventrally directed with a wavy margin (Fig. 3c); typhlosole originates at segment 22. Hearts located in segments x to xiii; esophageal and commissural vessels found in segments vi, vii, and ix laterally, with those in segment viii extending to the gizzard; the supra esophageal vessel extends from segment x to xiv, with extra-esophageal vessels joining the ventral esophageal wall in segment x. Ovaries and funnels free in segment xiii; spermathecae absent. Male sexual system holandric, with the testis enclosed in paired ventral sacs in segments x and xi; seminal vesicles found in segments xi and xii, granular; vasa differentia slender, embedded in the body wall, passing over the copulatory bursae on the way to join the ental end of the prostatic ducts; prostates located in segments xvii to xx, each racemose, 3–4 lobed, with a muscular duct entering the lateral side of a copulatory bursa (Fig. 3d).</p><p>Copulatory bursae in xvii to xix oblong shaped, secretory diverticula absent. Coelomic surface of bursae rough, with stalked genital marking glands 6 on the anterior face and two on the posterior face (Fig. 3e).</p><p>Etymology: Named after the type locality of the species.</p><p>Variations: The primary difference observed in the species is the protrusion of copulatory pouch as seen in paratype (MNP17-1057-42A16) the copulatory pouch protrudes out, thus internally the copulatory bursae are not so prominent.</p><p>Remark</p><p>According to Sims &amp; Easton (1972), the presence and absence of nephridia on the spermathecal ducts is the only characteristic that discriminated between the two genera  Pheretima and  Metaphire . And, it was unfeasible to discriminate for the athecate forms of the two genera. However, Aspe &amp; James (2014), proposed some other characters to distinguish the two genera,  Pheretima and  Metaphire, such as variations in the size and shape of the copulatory bursae. According to them,  Pheretima species typically exhibit more prominent dome-shaped, intracoelomic copulatory bursae compared to those found in  Metaphire . This distinction proves valuable for accurately categorizing athecal worms into either of these genera (Chang et al. 2009; Aspe &amp; James 2014). Also, according to Sims &amp; Easton (1972), presence of stalked genital marking glands on copulatory bursae is a feature of genus  Metaphire . The novel species consists of stalked genital marking glands on the copulatory bursae.</p><p>The novel species,  Metaphire churachandpurensis, cannot be assigned to any of the  Metaphire species groups outlined by Sims &amp; Easton (1972). This is consistent with  Metaphire reclusa Yuan &amp; Dong, 2019a, as these groups are primarily defined by the number and position of spermathecae (Yuan et al. 2019a).</p><p>Metaphire churachandpurensis may be mistaken for athecate morphs of  M. houlleti, a species characterized by the presence of male pores on segment xviii and the absence of post-clitellar genital markings. However, the new species can be readily distinguished from  M. houlleti based on its larger body size, the position of the first dorsal pore, the morphology of the male pore, and the wavy margin of the lateral intestinal caeca.</p><p>Additionally,  M. churachandpurensis closely resembles  Metaphire manipurensis sp. nov. in features such as body size, the position of the first dorsal pore, and the origin of the intestine. However,  M. churachandpurensis can be differentiated by the presence of stalked genital marking glands on the copulatory bursae, the wavy lateral intestinal caeca, and the male pore, which opens without lateral expansion on segment xviii.</p><p>Interestingly, the trait “copulatory pouches with stalked glands” aligns  M. churachandpurensis with the  M. insulana group, which includes four species:  M. insulana (Gates 1930),  M. leonoris (Chen 1946),  Metaphire daliensis Yuan &amp; Dong 2019b, and  M. houlletoides Nguyen, Nguyen, Lam &amp; Nguyen 2020 . Within this group, the first dorsal pore in  M. churachandpurensis,  M. daliensis, and  M. houlletoides is located at 11/12, whereas in  M. insulana and  M. leonoris it is at 12/13. The intestinal caeca in  M. churachandpurensis,  M. daliensis, and  M. insulana are intermediate between simple and complex, while those in  M. leonoris and  M. houlletoides are simple. Regarding genital marking glands near the prostate,  M. churachandpurensis has 6–8 stalked glands on the copulatory bursae, while they are absent in  M. daliensis and  M. insulana . In  M. houlletoides, these glands are visible, whereas in  M. leonoris, they are sessile and present in large masses (Table. 3).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5C6487B29932FFA1FF654363FCCC83A3	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Tiwari, Nalini;Shilpi, Kaushik;James, Samuel W.;Gupta, Neelima;Yadav, Shweta	Tiwari, Nalini, Shilpi, Kaushik, James, Samuel W., Gupta, Neelima, Yadav, Shweta (2025): Three Novel Species of Earthworms of Genus Metaphire Sims and Easton, 1972 from Manipur, India. Zootaxa 5589 (1): 166-189, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14
5C6487B29936FFA6FF6545AEFD1787F7.text	5C6487B29936FFA6FF6545AEFD1787F7.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Metaphire thabiensis Tiwari & Yadav, 2025 2025	<div><p>Metaphire thabiensis sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 8DD33D83-B356-4845-9AAF-6F647E3E5232</p><p>Material examined:   Holotype: Single clitellate worm (distorted at posterior region) MNP17-1100-44A26, (reg no.— ZSI CZRC T/7), location coordinates-24º38'31"N; 94º14'92"E,  Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary,  Tengnoupal, Manipur, collected on- 10 th of October 2017, collected by- Shweta Yadav.</p><p>Diagnosis: Species dimension 31mm long, 2mm wide. Prostomium open epilobic. First dorsal pore on ix/x. Male pores in a copulatory pouch in segment xviii. Two pairs of spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrow of vii/viii and viii/ix. Intestinal caeca originate in segment xxv. Holandric. Prostate glands racemose. Spermathecae unidiverticulate, nephridia on spermathecal duct absent. Genital marking gland absent.</p><p>Description: Length 31mm approx., diameter 2mm. Total number of segments 126 approx. Prostomium open epilobic. Setae evenly distributed around segmental equators, the number of setae on vii-33, xx-54, with dorsal and ventral gaps. First dorsal pore on ix/x. Spermathecal pore on vii/viii and viii/ix intersegmental, slit-like aperture (Fig.4a). Clitellum annular covering xiv–xvi segments, setae unrecognizable on clitellum.Female pore single, median on xiv. Male pore in a copulatory pouch on segment xviii, encircled with oval swollen lining, 1.75mm (0.40x body circumference) apart ventrally, intervened with 5 setae between two male pore (Fig.4b). Genital marking absent.</p><p>Septa 5/6/7/8 membranous, 8/9/10 absent. Nephridia densely cluster on the anterior faces of segments 5/6, while those of the intestinal segments are positioned on the body wall posterior to the septa. prominent gizzard present in segments viii to x. Intestinal origin in segment xv; caeca originating in segment xxv, extending forward to xviii (Fig.4c), while the typhlosole originates in segment xxv. The last pair of hearts in segment xiii. Ovaries and funnels free in segment xiii; spermathecae quadrithecal, located in segments viii and ix. Nephridia on spermathecal ducts absent, with each spermatheca possessing large flipper-like ampullae in segment viii, and somewhat obovoid in ix, duct stout, conical, muscular with flat top, stalked diverticulum attached to the base of spermathecal duct, terminating into club-shaped 6–7 lobed receptacles, stalk moderate (Fig.4e). Male sexual system holandric; testes and funnels enclosed in ventral sacs in segments x and xi. Seminal vesicles located in segments xi and xii, with slender vasa differentia attached to the body wall on the way to the ental end of the prostatic ducts. Each prostate racemose, extending from segments xvii to xix, with a muscular duct wrapped around the copulatory bursae, forming a "D" shape and entering the lateral face of the oval (?) copulatory bursa in segment xviii. Coelomic surfaces of the copulatory bursae velvety, lacking secretory diverticula; and penes absent (Fig.4d).</p><p>Etymology:  “thabiensis ” is derived from one of the zones “Khudengthabi” of the Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Manipur the type locality of the species.</p><p>Remark</p><p>The novel species  Metaphire thabiensis is classified within the  Metaphire javanica group, characterized by two pairs of spermathecal pores, with the first pair located at segment 7/8. It is holandric, has simple intestinal caeca, lacks stalked glands in the copulatory pouches, and exhibits no post-clitellar genital markings (Sims &amp; Easton 1972). Initially, Sims &amp; Easton (1972) described 38 species in this group, though several were later synonymized with  M. californica and  M. javanica . Of these, only four species have been recorded in India and neighboring Southeast Asian regions:  M. californica (Kinberg 1867) (recorded from India),  M. kengtungensis (Gates 1931) and  M. lorella (Gates 1936) (recorded from Myanmar), and  M. javanica (Kinberg 1867) (recorded from Vietnam).</p><p>The new species,  M. thabiensis, differs from  M. californica,  M. kengtungensis,  M. lorella, and  M. javanica in its smaller size and the location of the first dorsal pore. In  M. thabiensis, the first dorsal pore is situated at segment ix/x, whereas it is located at segment xi/xii in  M. californica, at xii/xiii in both  M. kengtungensis and  M. lorella, and between segments vi/vii and xiii/xiv in  M. javanica .</p><p>The structure of the intestinal caeca provides a distinguishing feature for  M. thabiensis . In this new species, the caeca originate in segment xxv and extend to segment xviii. In comparison, the caeca of  M. californica and  M. kengtungensis extend from segment xxvii to xxi, while in  M. lorella, they extend from segment xxvii to xix. Similarly, in  M. javanica, they extend from segment xxvii to xxiii or xxiv.</p><p>A defining feature of  M. thabiensis is its male pore, which is surrounded by an oval, swollen lining and opens through a small, transverse, slit-like aperture. In contrast, the male pore is located on a penis in  M. kengtungensis and  M. lorella, on a small tubercle in  M. californica, and on tumescent lips in  M. javanica . While the male pore in  M. javanica is similar to that of  M. thabiensis, it differs in position: in  M. javanica, it is 0.20x the body circumference apart, while in  M. thabiensis, it is 0.40x the body circumference apart.</p><p>A unique characteristic of  M. thabiensis is the presence of large, flipper-like ampullae, which are somewhat obovoid in shape, with a stout, conical, and muscular duct with a flat top, further distinguishing this novel species from other members of the group (Table. 4).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5C6487B29936FFA6FF6545AEFD1787F7	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Tiwari, Nalini;Shilpi, Kaushik;James, Samuel W.;Gupta, Neelima;Yadav, Shweta	Tiwari, Nalini, Shilpi, Kaushik, James, Samuel W., Gupta, Neelima, Yadav, Shweta (2025): Three Novel Species of Earthworms of Genus Metaphire Sims and Easton, 1972 from Manipur, India. Zootaxa 5589 (1): 166-189, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.14
