Pheretima virgata, James, 2004

James, Samuel W., 2004, New Species Of Amynthas, Pheretima And Pleionogaster (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) Of The Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mindanao Island, Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (2), pp. 289-313 : 305

Pheretima virgata , new species

( Figs. 3 K-M)

Material examined. – Holotype - adult ( NMA 003987 ), Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Mt. Kitanglad Range , 18 km S, 17 km E of Baungon, 8 9' N, 124 45' E, 1800 m. elevation, coll. L. Heaney, 15 May.1992.

Etymology. – The species name is derived from the Latin for striped; referring to the alternating pigmented and unpigmented bands.

Description. – Dark brown dorsal pigment in stripes encircling dorsal 2/3 of circumference, ventral ends of stripes tapered, segmental equators unpigmented, body 290 x 13 mm (x), 11 mm (xxv), 125 segments; body cylindrical in crosssection. First dorsal pore 12/13, spermathecal pores paired 7/8, openings semi-circular with half-round flaps extending from posterior edge of vi, 0.1 circumference apart; female pore single in xiv, openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, 0.1 circumference apart in 8 th setal line, 4 setae between openings. Setae approximately uniformly distributed around segmental equators, 76 setae on vii, 80 setae on xx; no dorsal or ventral gaps. Clitellum annular xiv-xvi; no genital markings ( Fig. 3K ).

Septa 4/5-7/8 tough but not thick, 8/9 membranous to posterior of gizzard, 9/10 absent, 10/11-13/14 very muscular. Nephridia of post-clitellar segments pre- and post-septal on body wall; tufts of nephridia on anterior faces of septa 5/6, 6/7.

Large gizzard in viii, esophagus with densely crowded deep vertical lamellae xi-xiii, valvular in xv, intestinal origin xvi, simple caeca originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxi; typhlosole xxvii-lxxviii, simple fold one-fifth lumen diameter; 42 longitudinal vessels in anterior intestinal wall.

Hearts x-xiii esophageal, hearts of x lacking connection to dorsal vessel but no supra-esophageal vessel visible in x; commissural vessels vi, vii, ix lateral; viii to gizzard, vi also to nephridial mass preseptal in vi, vii also to anterior gizzard. Supra-esophageal vessel xi-xiv, extra-esophageal vessel not traceable past ix, with branches to body wall in vii-ix; efferent parieto-esophageal vessels from xiii-xvi to ventral esophageal wall in xiii.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii, paired spermathecae in viii with nephridia only on posterior face of spermathecal ducts; spermathecae with ovate ampulla, short stout duct composed of ectal bulb from which narrower ducts lead to ampulla, diverticulum; diverticulum with several large chambers arranged in U-shape around central canal ( Fig. 3L ). Thecocysts present in spermatheca ampullae, each round with long stalk ( Fig. 3M ). Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; sacs not connected, sacs of xi enclose seminal vesicles; seminal vesicles xi, xii, with dorsal lobe; vasa deferentia slightly muscular, free from body wall en route to ental end of prostatic ducts; each prostate racemose with 2-3 major lobes, stout muscular duct entering posterior face of muscular dome of copulatory bursa in xviii; no glandular masses or other appendages to copulatory bursae; bursae roofs lined with several blocky pads, no penis, bursae floors composed of four or five triangular pads with apices towards bursal openings.

Remarks. – In Sims & Easton (1972) P. virgata keys to the P. sangirensis group, within which the spermathecal structure is distinctive, particularly the multiple chambers of the diverticulum arranged along a curved diverticular axis, and the broad base or ectal bulb of the spermathecal duct. The previously published species of the sangirensis group have the spermathecae in vii, as do most of the species of this group described above. In contrast, the spemathecae of P. virgata are in viii, its broad duct just posterior to the insertion of septum 7/8. The large number of pads on the inside of the copulatory bursae is also unique among Philippine species in the P. sangirensis group, and not yet known in the Indonesian species. The large size and distinctive coloration are unique among species from the Mt. Kitanglad region.

Figures

Fig. 3. Spermathecae, and ventral views showing spermathecal pores, female pores, and male pores of P. vicinipora (A, B), P. baungonensis (C, D), Pheretima paucisetosa (E, F), P. alba (G, H), P. rubida (I, J), and P. virgata (K, L, plus M, spermatophore). Symbols: fp, female pore(s); mp, male pores; sp, spermathecal pores.