Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867)

Blakemore, Robert J., Lee, Seunghan & Seo, Hong-Yul, 2015, Account of montane and insular speciation in some Korean megadriles (Annelida: Oligochaeta), Journal of Species Research 4 (1), pp. 1-22 : 2

1. Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867) ( Fig. 2A ).

Pheretima californica (part) Kinberg, 1867: 102 [part. excl. Megascolex indicus Horst, 1883 (= A. corticis - see Easton, 1981: 49)]. [Type locality Sausolita Bay, California. Types from San Francisco in the Stockholm Museum: 160. Often misdated “1866”].

Material. IV 0000261354 (DNA HY17) mature, dissected, collected from Yeomiji Botanical Gardens, Seogwipo, Jeju by RJB 5 th Sept., 2013 along with several Amynthas gracilis (Kinberg, 1867) specimens and an Amynthas cf. corticis (HY19 below).

Distribution. Widespread cosmopolitan, origin unknown; first record from Korea, also Jeju, by Blakemore (2012 et al. IV0000246440 beside Temple at Mt Sanbangsan, providing DNA sample WM15); see also Blakemore (2013a) (Saeseum Island sample providing DNA WO58).

Description. Full details and distribution provided by Blakemore (2012f) “ Cosmopolitan Earthworms ”, including specimens collected by the author from Tokyo and Nagasaki, Japan.

Remarks. Blast results for DNA sample HY17 gave 100% Metaphire californica (AY960810.1 from Taiwan) or 98% “ Metaphire schmardae ” [ EF032610 - probable misidentification from China (as in Latin America!) of M. californica rather than actual Duplodicodrilus schmardae (Horst, 1883) from Japan], whereas HY17 vs. LK172-3 ( M. californica from Lake Biwa, Japan)=616/616 (100%); plus HY17 vs. WM15 from Jeju=617/617 (100%) and HY17 vs. W34 (redo of WO58 from Saeseum Island, Jeju) also agrees 100%. Thus my M. californica from Japan is confirmed the same as from Jeju, Korea.

Figures

Fig. 2. 2A Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867) providing DNA HY17; 2B Amynthas cf. corticis (Kinberg, 1867) with GMs complying rather with A. diffringens (Baird, 1869) providing DNA HY19; 2C-E Amynthas gracilis (Kinberg, 1867) providing DNA tissue samples HY14-16, respectively.