Millsonia heteronephra ( MICHAELSEN, 1897 )

Csuzdi, Cs., 2006, West African Earthworm Genus Millsonia Beddard, 1894 (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Benhamiinae) Reviewed And Separation Of A New Genus, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 52 (1), pp. 35-48 : 37-39

Millsonia heteronephra ( MICHAELSEN, 1897)

( Fig. 2 )

Benhamia heteronephra MICHAELSEN 1897: 22 .

Dichogaster heteronephra : MICHAELSEN 1900: 365.

Millsonia heteronephra : OMODEO 1955: 219; OMODEO 1958: 59; SIMS 1965 a: 299; SIMS 1986: 291, CSUZDI 1996: 361, CSUZDI 2000 a: 75.

Material examined. MRAC 34.326 1+ 4 juv. ex., HNHM AF/5125 1+ 1 juv. ex., Togo, Misahohe. Leg. F. PUYLAERT, 6. VIII. 1969.

Remarks. This species is easy to recognize because of the characteristic shape of the male genital field ( Fig. 2 ). SIMS (1986) drew the attention to a possible typing mistake in the original description placing the intestinal caeca between segments xxxvi–xli, which differed from what he recorded for the specimens from Ghana. Unfortunately the only syntype found in the MICHAELSEN collection Hamburg ( V 4520) is incomplete; its anterior intestine is missing. Therefore SIMS (1968) was uncertain whether the specimens from Ghana really belong to M. heteronephra and in this case the position of the caeca in the original description must be regarded as lapsus calami or they represent a new species. Our new material from the type locality corroborates SIMS’ opinion that there is a typing mistake in the original description because all of the specimens examined possess intestinal caeca in xxvi–xxxii, xxxiii.

2 = M. heteronephra ( MICHAELSEN, 1897) , 3 = M. inermis ( MICHAELSEN, 1892)

The type locality of the species is “Togogebiet, Station Misahöhe”. SIMS (1986) places it to Benin with the following coordinates: 6°59’N, 0°40’E. But the locality with these coordinates, as well as the town Misahohe (or Missahohé in other spelling), is found in Togo .

Figures

Figs 1–3. 1 = R. (P.) omodeoi (SIMS, 1986):a = excretory system, b = sketch drawing of the excretory system. Abbreviation – sm: exonephric sac–shaped meronephridium; cch: collecting channel, fm: filiform enteronephric megameronephridium, nc: nerve cord, nf: nephridial funnel. 2–3 = Male field: