Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972

Nguyen, Tung T., Nguyen, Nam Q., Lam, Dang H. & Nguyen, Anh D., 2020, Six new species of the genus Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972 (Annelida: Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from southeastern Vietnam, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68, pp. 220-236 : 221

Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972

Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972: 215 .

Type species. Rhodopis javanica Kinberg, 1867 , by monotypy.

Distribution. The genus is widely distributed in the Oriental region, from Japan through to the Indo-Australian archipelago ( Sims & Easton, 1972: 215).

Remarks. According to Sims & Easton (1972), the genus Metaphire is distinguished from Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 , mainly by the presence of copulatory pouches, from Pheretima Kinberg, 1867 , by the absence of micronephridia on the spermathecal ducts, and from Pithemera Sims & Easton, 1972 , by the presence of intestinal caeca at or near xxvii.

Morphologically, Metaphire and Amynthas are clearly separated by the presence or absence of copulatory pouches. However, recent molecular studies show the polyphyletic relationship between Metaphire and Amynthas ( Zhao et al., 2015; Jeratthitikul et al., 2017). Thus, more data is needed for better understanding of the relationship between these two genera.