Kazimierzus nietvoorbiji Nxele & Plisko, 2017

Plisko, Thembeka Clara Nxele Jadwiga Danuta, Mwabvu, Tarombera & Zishiri, Oliver Tendayi, 2017, Four new earthworm species of Kazimierzus Plisko, 2006 (Clitellata, Kazimierzidae), Zootaxa 4353 (1), pp. 187-194 : 189

Kazimierzus nietvoorbiji Nxele & Plisko , sp. n.

Locality and material. South Africa: Western Cape: Stellenbosch, Nietvoorbij Research Farm , hillside in native bush (33.9079S 18.86883E), 259 m asl, 31.viii.2011, J.D. Plisko, S. James, T. Nxele, P. Madonda leg.

Holotype. One clitellate, NMSA / OLIG.04988a.

Paratypes. One clitellate, NMSA/OLIG.04988d; four clitellates, NMSA/OLIG.04802.

Additional material. Two juveniles NMSA / OLIG. 04988b,c,

Description. External. Holotype: Body length> 145 mm, abscised, width 9 mm at tubercula. Segment number> 260. Paratypes: 145–282 mm in length, width 4–6 mm. Segment number> 290. Colour pale grey. Prostomium prolobous. Preclitellar segments with secondary annulations: segments 1–3 simple with grooves, segments 4–7 with four annuli of same size, segments 8 and 9 with five primary annuli, each subdivided to make a total of 10 annulations; from segment 10 on and in postclitellar randomly annulated. Setae aa <bc: ab = cd small and closely paired. Male pores not observed. Female pores not observed. Spermathecal pores not observed. Clitellum saddle-shaped on 12, 13–28, segmented, dorsal borders well marked. Tubercula pubertatis on 17, 18–26, not clearly marked. Genital papillae on 8–30 as small swellings around setae.

Internal. Septa 4/5, 5/6, 6/7 thickened, muscular. Other septa thin. Gizzard well-developed in 7, globular, muscular, attached to a large crop which is also in segment 7. Calciferous glands in 11, fused dorsally. Intestinal origin in 13. Dorsal blood vessel simple throughout the body. Nephridia holoic, one pair per segment with J-shaped bladders. Holandric, male funnels in separate sacs, closely paired. Seminal vesicles in 11 and 12, the pair in 11 close to the calciferous gland. Spermathecae near cd setal line, one pair per segment close to intersegmental furrow 10/11–15/ 16 in holotype, 11/12–15/ 16 in adult paratypes, one pair per segment, small round-shaped. Genital glands present, different shapes and sizes on 10–28 or 29 or 30.

Etymology. Refers to the type locality, Nietvoorbij Research Farm.

Remarks. This species is similar to K. franciscus ( Pickford, 1975) and K. crousi ( Pickford, 1975) in the position of calciferous glands. However, K. nietvoorbiji differs from the two species in the position of the clitellum (14–23 in K. crousi , 13,14–26 in K. franciscus and 12, 13–28 in K. nietvoorbiji ) and number and position of spermathecae (13/14–16/ 17 in K. crousi , 13/14–15/ 16 in K. franciscus and 10/11–15/ 16 in K. nietvoorbiji ). Some of the characters specific for this species are summarized in Table 1.