identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
AAAA7A8E2D29512B81B1E42DCB2B0C4A.text	AAAA7A8E2D29512B81B1E42DCB2B0C4A.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Metaphire wenanensis Liu & Zhao 2026	<div><p>Metaphire wenanensis Liu &amp; Zhao sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 1, 2, 3, 4</p><p>Material examined.</p><p>Holotype: • One clitellate (LFWA_01), collected in <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=116.23225&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=38.90973" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 116.23225/lat 38.90973)">Xinglonggong Town</a> (38.90973°N, 116.23225°E, 5 m elevation.), Wen’an County, Langfang Prefecture, Hebei Province. Collection date: 2023-05 - 10. Collector: Huifeng Zhao . Paratypes: • Five clitellates [LFWA_02, 03, 05–07], same data as of holotype .</p><p>Additional specimens.</p><p>• Eight clitellates (LFWA_04, 08–14), same data as of holotype . All types and other specimens are preserved in C-HLU.</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>Medium sized, length 90–105 mm, diameter 7–10 mm, number of segments 105–110. Prostomium epilobous. Dorsal pores between segments 12 / 13. Three pairs of spermathecal pores located ventrally between segments 6 / 7–8 / 9. Male pores on the ventral sides of XVIII, spaced ~ 1 / 3 around the body. Female pore singular, on the ventral side of segment XIV. Clitellum annular, spanning segments XIV – XVI, and lacks setae. Setae perichaetine arrangement. Genital markings absent. Gizzard in IX – X. Caeca beginning at XXVII, extending forward to XXIII. Three pairs of spermathecae in VII – IX; ampulla nearly elliptical, smooth-surfaced, ampulla duct long, stout with swollen basal portion. Diverticulum originating from below the swollen portion of the spermathecal duct, stalk slender at the proximal end, enlarged and greatly coiled toward distal end. Seminal vesicles in XI – XII. Pair of prostate glands well-developed, in segments XVI – XIX, follicular, with a thin U-shaped prostatic duct.</p><p>Description.</p><p>External characters. Length 90–105 mm. Body color yellowish-white, dorsal side darker than the ventral side; clitellum pale yellowish-white color. Width 7–10 mm, segments 105–110. Prostomium epilobous (Fig. 1 A). First dorsal pore 12 / 13 (Fig. 1 D). Clitellum annular XIV – XVI; setae absent. Setal arrangement perichaetine; setae number 42 (V), 48 (XII), 56 (XX). Setae between male porophores: 10–11. Female pore single in slit-like opening, medioventral at XIV.</p><p>Spermathecal pores three pairs, 6 / 7–8 / 9, ventrolateral; Small, round, and slightly sunken into the body surface. Ventral distance between openings of the spermathecal pores ~ 3.4–4.2 mm (Fig. 1 C). Pores bearing spherical projections. Pre-clitellar genital markings absent (Fig. 2 A).</p><p>Male pores paired on segment XVIII (Fig. 1 B), each located within a copulatory pouch. The copulatory pouches are slightly raised on the body wall, surrounded by two or three circles of cutaneous folds. Internally, each copulatory pouch encloses the male pore and the opening of the prostatic duct. The ventral distance between the two male pore openings is 3.7–4.5 mm. Post-clitellar genital marking absent (Fig. 2 B).</p><p>Internal characters. Septa 8 / 9 / 10 aborted, 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 thick and muscular, 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 uniform thickness. Gizzard within IX – X, small (Fig. 1 E). Intestine enlarged from XIV. Intestinal caeca simple, originating in XXVII and extending anteriorly to XXIII; however, some caeca extend up to XXII (Fig. 1 F).</p><p>Spermathecae three pairs in VII – IX (Fig. 1 G), ampulla nearly elliptical, small, surface flattened and smoothed, 1.09–2.56 mm long, 1.37–1.93 mm wide; ampulla duct long, stout, 0.91–1.52 mm long, with swollen basal portion, 0.87–1.04 mm wide; diverticulum originating from disc-shaped atrium connected below swollen portion of ampulla duct, stalk slender at the proximal end 1.41–2.50 mm long, enlarged and greatly coiled toward distal end, receptacle is 1.09–3.01 mm long. Diverticulum connected to the ampulla duct at a disc-shaped atrium. The atrium area 1.66–2.48 mm 2, attaching to body wall (Fig. 2 C).</p><p>Testis sac one pair in XI. Seminal vesicles two pairs in XI and XII, well developed, follicular, posterior pair larger (Fig. 1 I). Prostate glands large, paired in XVIII (Fig. 1 H), follicular, divided into many finger like projections, extending anteriorly to XVI (or XVII) and posteriorly to XX (or XXI). Prostatic duct U-shaped, slender.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The species name refers to the type locality in Wen’an County, Langfang Prefecture, Hebei Province.</p><p>Distribution.</p><p>Northern China (Hebei)</p><p>Habitats.</p><p>Specimens were collected from riparian soil along the banks of a freshwater river. The soil type is sandy loam rich in organic matter, collected at a depth of ~ 20 cm. The vegetation cover is dominated by willow trees ( Salix spp.).</p><p>Remarks.</p><p>Metaphire wenanensis sp. nov. belongs to the M. houlleti group, which has ~ 56 species. This group is characterized by having three pairs of bi-chambered spermathecal pores at segments 6 / 7–8 / 9, with consistent patterns in pore placement and clitellum morphology. The new species is morphologically similar to M. tschiliensis; M. vulgaris and M. guillelmi . Key distinguishing features of M. wenanensis sp. nov. include: first dorsal pores starting at segment 12 / 13 (versus 11 / 12 in M. vulgaris and M. tschiliensis), absence of pre-clitellar and post-clitellar genital markings, inconspicuous female pores (contrasting with the single ventral pore on XIV in M. tschiliensis) (Table 2).</p><p>Metaphire wenanensis sp. nov. is also morphologically similar to M. liaoningensis . Both species have the first dorsal pores commencing at segment 12 / 13 and have paired prostates at segment XVIII in a follicular form. Similarities extend to the number and placement of male pores, spermathecae, and gizzards. However, the two species differ in the genital markings and accessory glands: in M. wenanensis sp. nov. the pre-clitellar genital markings and accessory glands are absent, while in M. liaoningensis, the pre-clitellar genital markings are present, with three pairs of papillae presetal on VII, XIII, and IX, and three pairs of accessory glands in VII – IX.</p><p>The spermathecal features of the new species are highly distinctive. Unlike all other members of the M. houlleti group, where the ampulla duct and diverticulum connect directly to the body wall, M. wenanensis sp. nov. possesses a disc-shaped atrium interposed between these structures and the body wall. This unique anatomical feature is potentially associated with the spherical swelling observed at each spermathecal pore. To the best of our knowledge, this feature is unique among all compared species of the M. houlleti group.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AAAA7A8E2D29512B81B1E42DCB2B0C4A	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.		Pensoft via Plazi	Liu, Qingyu;Zhao, Huifeng;Aspe, Nonillon M.;Zhang, Yufeng;Zhang, Wenqi;Zhang, Zhenjiang;Dong, Yanjie	Liu, Qingyu, Zhao, Huifeng, Aspe, Nonillon M., Zhang, Yufeng, Zhang, Wenqi, Zhang, Zhenjiang, Dong, Yanjie (2026): A new species of the genus Metaphire (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae) from northern China with data from the mitochondrial genome. ZooKeys 1278: 53-71, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1278.182854
