Metaphire dipapillata ( Thai et Tran, 1986 )

Nguyen, Tung. T., Trinh, Binh K. T., Le, Nhan V. & Nguyen, Anh D., 2015, On the polythecate earthworms of the genus Metaphire (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 461-470 : 470

Metaphire dipapillata ( Thai et Tran, 1986)

( Fig. 4 , Table 3)

Pheretima multitheca dipapillata Thai et Tran, 1986: 9 , fig. 3C.

Metaphire multitheca dipapillata – Blakemore, 2007: 68, “ species inquirenda ”.

Metaphire dipapillata – Nguyen & Nguyen, 2015: 132.

Type locality. Vietnam (Nghe An: Ky Son ) .

Examined material. 5C ( SORC-PV.70.01) Muong Long, Ky Son , Nghe An, 1/1/1986, coll. Tran Ba Cu.

Diagnosis. First dorsal pore in 11/12. Four thecal segments, multiple spermathecal pores in intersegments 5/6/7/8/9. Male pores located inside highly elevated copulatory pouches in xviii. A pair of round genital markings in intersegment 17/18. Intestinal origin at xvi, caeca simple from xxvii. Septa 8/9/10 absent.

Remarks. The species was originally described as subspecies Pheretima multitheca dipapillata Thai et Tran, 1986 . Blakemore (2007) allocated it to the genus Metaphire but listed it as “ species inquirenda ” without explanation. However, the species is clearly different from Metaphire multitheca ( Chen, 1938) in having a pair of genital markings in 17/18, multiple spermathecal pores in 5/6/7/8/9 and first dorsal pore in 11/12. Metaphire multitheca ( Chen, 1938) has two pairs of genital markings in front of and behind male porophores in xviii, multiple spermathecal pores on posterior border of segments vi, vii and viii, and first dorsal pore in 12/13 ( Table 3). As a result, the species has been raised to full rank and assigned to the genus Metaphire ( Nguyen & Nguyen, 2015) .

Figures

Fig. 4. Metaphire dipapillata (Thai et Tran, 1986). A, male pore region (mp = male pore; gm = genital markings); B, spermathecae, right side (am = ampulla; dv = diverticula); C, prostate gland; D, intestinal caeca. Scale bars = 1 mm.