Microchaetus parvus Michaelsen, 1913

Plisko, Jadwiga Danuta, 2003, Eleven new South African earthworms (Oligochaeta: Microchaetidae) with new information on some known species, and an inventory of the microchaetids of KwaZulu-Natal, African Invertebrates 44 (2), pp. 279-325 : 290

Microchaetus parvus Michaelsen, 1913

Microchaetus parvus Michaelsen, 1913 c: 445 ; Michaelsen 1918: 331; Reynolds & Cook 1976: 152, 1993: 27; Plisko 1991: 279 [re­description], 1992: 349, 1998: 282.

Material examined: KwaZulu­Natal: Thukela River Valley, Farm Gannahoek: NMSA /Olig.02781 (28º39'28"S: 29º59'00"E) at 890 m, on bank of small stream from soil with tuft of grass, weeds and herbs, 6 December 1999, 4 cl + 2 juv; NMSA /Olig.02785 (28º39'32"S: 29º59'03"E) at 900 m open rocky grassland, scattered trees at east slope, 6 December 1999, 5 cl + 3 juv; NMSA /Olig.02779 (28º40'12"S: 29º59'58"E) edge of stream bed at base of rocky bank, with loose sandstone rock on; shallow soil, from soil and grass roots, 5 December 1999, 2 cl + 3 juv. NMSA /Olig.02784 (28º40'30"S: 30º00'55"E) at 740 m, at the edge of Thukela River from stony soil, under tree, 6 December 1999, 7 cl + 5 juv; NMSA / Olig.02775 (28º40'31"S: 30º00'40"E) under rotting plant debris in shallow drainage depression, on deep aluvial floodplain near Thukela River edge, 5 December 1999, 20 cl + 12 juv; NMSA /Olig.02777 (28º40'35"S: 30º00'25"E) at 760 m, bed of old small dam, moist soil with good humus at rubbish dump, from upper 10 cm soil, 5 December 1999, 25 cl + 3 juv; NMSA /Olig.02774 (28º40'35"S: 30º00'40"E) at 778 m under dead fallen Aloe spectabilis in accumulated rotting debris and captured soil on sandstone bedrock at base of slope edge of dry watercourse, 28 November1999, 4 cl + 5 juv. Thukela River Valley, Farm Ramak NMSA /Olig.02783 (28º41'30"S: 30º02'35"E) at 700 m, east slope, from soil under dead fallen aloes, 50 m from edge of Thukela River, 5 December 1999, 1 cl + 2 juv; Thukela River Valley, Farm Groote Mielietuin: NMSA /Olig.02788 (28º53'52"S: 29º59'35"E) at 1380 m, on hilltop, 16 December 1999, 6 juv; NMSA /Olig.02797 (28º53'55"S: 29º59'30"E) at 1030 m, gentle sloping, open grassland, with scattered trees, 9 December 1999, 3 cl; NMSA /Olig.02791 (28º55'30"S: 29º59'15"E) at 1040 m, steep rocky slope in dense stream bed vegetation, about 5 m above stream; soil rocky and with much roots, good leaf litter on surface, 15 December 1999, 1 semimature [associated with Proandricus ortyi ]; all above recorded material collected by OB. NMSA /Olig.03380 Otto’s Bluff, Wattle Grove (29º28'30"S: 30º22'12"E) from wet soil under indigenous grassland, 12 January 2001, 3 cl + 7 juv, JDP, AJA, TN [associated with natalensis and Michalakus initus ]. NMSA /Olig.03387 Impendle Nature Reserve (29º42'09"S: 29º53'28"E) valley, forest, near stream in slightly moistsoil, 23 March 2001, 3 juv, PN, AJA. NMSA /Olig.03496 Port Shepstone, Armidale farm (30º39'39"S: 30º30'19"E) at 102 m, recently burnt grassland, many herbs, patch at summit of dune, damp sandy soil, 4 November 2001, 2 cl, AJA, HM [associated with other microchaetids and introduced Pontoscolex corethrurus ( Müller, 1857) ].

Remarks: A species found in natural habitats as well as biotopes influenced by human activity. The broad distribution of this species may be due to an exceptional adaptability to survival under varied pedological conditions. It is often associated with other microchaetids and with introduced earthworms. Known from numerous localities in KZN ( Fig. 1 ) (Michaelsen 1913 c; Plisko 1991 1992 1998) and from Mpumalanga province (Plisko 1998).

Figures

Fig. 1. The distribution of species of Microchaetus and Michalakus in KZN. Microchaetus: 1 = ambitus; 2 = caementerii; 3 = distasmosus; 4 = griphus; 5 = herberti; 6 = idechoritus; 7 = mkuzi; 8 = natalensis; 9 = papillatus; 10 = parvus; 11 = pondoanus; 12 = quaerus; 13 = tuberosus; 14 = vernoni; 15 = zaloumisi; 16 = Michalakus initus.