Metaphire bahli Gates, 1945

Aspe, Nonillon M. & Obusan, Marie Christine M., 2023, Pheretimoid earthworms (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) cultivated in a vermifacility in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5255 (1), pp. 101-112 : 106

Metaphire bahli Gates, 1945

( Figure 2 )

Material examined. 3 adults ( PNM 4651 ) ; 2 adults (UPLBMNHLS (EW) 159), Pleasant Village , Los Baños, Laguna (14°09’29.9”N, 121°15’17.4”E), 24 m asl., Luzon Island, Philippines, coll. N. Aspe, M. R .F. Mapile 2 July, 2019.

Diagnosis. Brown worms with adult size of 58–145 mm x 3.3–6 mm; equators pigmented; three pairs of spermathecal pores at 6/7–8/9; distance between spermathecal pores 0.16–0.25 circumference apart ventrally; distance between male pores 0.14–0.20 circumference apart ventrally, 3–8 setae between openings; setae on vii and xx 39–49 and 40–72, respectively; genital markings in 17/18 and 18/ 19 in line with male pores; male region strongly concave to form an ellipsoid-shaped or rounded area. Spermathecae paired, postseptal in vii, viii, and ix, no nephridia on ducts; each spermatheca large with pyriform ampulla, stout muscular duct, stalked diverticulum attached to duct near the base of the duct, terminating in ovate receptacles, stalks long, convoluted; male sexual system holandric; copulatory bursae not prominent; round genital marking glands present in xvii and xix; intestinal origin xv, caeca simple originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxiv; prostates large in xvi to xx, each a single, dense, racemose mass; copulatory bursae not prominent; round genital marking glands present in xvii and xix.

Remarks. Metaphire bahli belongs to M. peguana group in Sims & Easton (1972), characterized by having three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9 and post-clitellar genital markings at 17/18 and 18/19. The species group includes: M. peguana Rosa, 1890 ; M. saigonensis Omodeo, 1957 ; M. kiengiangensis Nguyen et al. 2015 ; M. dorsomultitheca Nguyen et al. 2015 ; M. nhuongi Nguyen, 2016 ; M. doiphamon Bantaowong & Panha, 2016 in Bantaowong et al. 2016; M. haui Nguyen et al. 2020 ; and M. narraensis Aspe et al. 2021 . First recorded in Sri Lanka, M. bahli has also been recorded in Vietnam ( Nguyen et al. 2016; 2017; 2020), India ( Narayanan et al. 2019), Thailand ( Prasankok et al. 2013), Laos and Cambodia ( Gates 1945), as well as in Darwin, Australia ( Blakemore 2016b). In the Philippines, M. bahli had been recorded in Batangas, Manila, Angeles City, Pangasinan, Panay, Negros and Sibuyan Island ( Thai & Samphon 1989; Blakemore 2016b). The morphological features of M. bahli in Los Baños, Vietnam and India in general coincide ( Table 2 ). However, there are discordances in some characters. For example, the distance between spermathecal pores and between male pores in M. bahli in Los Baños is 0.16 and 0.16 circumference apart ventrally, respectively. On the other hand, Nguyen et al. (2017) reported that the distance between spermathecal pores and between male pores in M. bahli in Vietnam are 0.25 and 0.20 circumference apart ventrally, respectively. Narayanan et al. (2019) did not provide information on the distance between spermathecal pores and between male pores in M. bahli in India. The pre- and postclitellar setae in M. bahli in Los Baños and in Vietnam more or less belong to the same range (39–49 in the preclitellar segments and 40–72 in the postclitellar segments). However, this is in contrast to Narayanan et al.’s (2019) description of M. bahli in India wherein the number of setae in the preclitellar segments reaches 73+ while it reaches 91+ setae in the postclitellar segments.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Metaphire bahli. (A) Male pores (mp) area showing the genital markings (gmg). (B) Spermathecae. (C) Prostate gland (p) showing the genital marking glands (gmg). Scale bar: 1mm.