Metaphire sanmingensis Sun & Jiang, 2018

Sun, Jing, Jiang, Ji-Bao, Bartlam, Scott, Qiu, Jiang-Ping & Hu, Feng, 2018, Four new Amynthas and Metaphire earthworm species from nine provinces in southern China, Zootaxa 4496 (1), pp. 287-301 : 296-298

Metaphire sanmingensis Sun & Jiang , sp. nov.

( Figure 5 )

Type material. Holotype: One clitellate (C-FJ 201008 -02) specimen, China, Fujian Province, Sanming City , Youxi County (26°05'10"N, 118°25'09"E), 953 m asl, topsoil below bamboo in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, yellow soil , 25 Aug. 2010, J. B. Jiang coll. Paratypes: A total of 14 specimens, as follows: One clitellate (C- FJ 201101 -03) specimen, China, Fujian Province, Wuyishan City (27°47'12"N, 118°04'32"E), 308 m asl, topsoil below fern and Eleusine indica in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red soil , 9 Jul. 2011, J. B. Jiang, J. Sun, H. W. Feng and X. D. Lei coll. One clitellate (C-FJ 201112 -02), China, Fujian Province, Meihuashan National Natural Reserve (25°14'59"N, 116°50'09"E), 810 m asl, topsoil below reed in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red soil , 13 Jul. 2011, J. B. Jiang, J. Sun, H. W. Feng and X. D. Lei coll. Two clitellates (C- JX201301-01), China, Jiangxi Province, Longhu Mountain (28°05'38"N, 117°01'08"E), 76 m asl, topsoil below shrubs in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, sandy red soil , 15 Jun. 2013, J. B. Jiang, L. L. Zhang, Y. Dong and S. Lei coll. Two clitellates (C-AH201610-04), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City , Taipinghu County (30°21'33"N, 117°56'09"E), 146 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest, red-brown soil , 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll. Four clitellates (C- AH201609 -03), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City , Taipinghu County (30°18'45"N, 118°01'32"E), 120 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red-brown soil , 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll. Four clitellates (C-AH201610-03), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City , Taipinghu County (30°21'33"N, 117°56'09"E), 146 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red-brown soil , 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll.

Etymology. This species is named according to the locality of the holotype, which is Sanming city, Fujian Province, China.

Diagnosis. This species is relatively thick for its length; spermathecal pores three pairs in 6/7–8/9, two genital papillae on the ventral mid-line and found post-setal in VII and VIII normally, and extra papillae may be present or the papillae may be absent; secondary male pores opening to copulatory pouches, surrounded by three papillae, with three other papillae ventro-medial and post-setal transversely placed on XVIII, the number of papillae may be less in some specimens; prostate glands well-developed with small duct; spermathecal diverticulum shorter than the main axis, distal third dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber.

Description. External characters. Preserved specimens’ dorsal color light brown anterior to clitellum, brown posterior to clitellum, ventral pigment lacking anterior to clitellum and light brown posterior to clitellum. Middorsal line pigmented posterior to clitellum. Dimensions 55–113 mm by 4–5.5 mm at clitellum, segments number 55–86. No secondary annulations. Prostomium ½ epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12, 12/13 or 13/14. Clitellum annular in XIV–XVI, grayish-brown, smooth, swollen, no visible setae on ventral side. Setae uniformly distributed, 16–24 at III, 23–32 at V, 33–40 at VIII, 44–48 at XX, 4 8–50 at XXV; 8– 12/VII, 12/VIII between spermathecal pores, 8–9 between male pores, setal formula AA=1.2–1.8AB, ZZ=1.2–2.2ZY. Spermathecal pores three pairs, in 6/7–8/9, intersegmental, about 0.33 of circumference ventrally apart; conspicuous, eye-like ( Fig. 5A ). Two genital papillae always longitudinally placed and posterior to the setae AA in VII and VIII in holotype and paratypes; an extra two pairs of papillae present in paratype C-AH201609-03, and each pair longitudinally placed slightly medial to the spermathecal pore on VIII; no genital papillae on paratype C-FJ 201101 -03. Secondary male pores in XVIII, 0.33 of circumference ventrally apart, surrounded by three skin folds, opening to small copulatory pouches visible only within the body wall, no penial body in the pouch. Male papillae variable, holotype with three small, flattopped papillae aligned in a curve medial to each male opening and concave laterally, as well as three ventromedial and post-setal papillae transversely located on XVIII, no penial body in the pouch; paratypes with two small, flat-toped papillae adjacent to the anterior and posterior margins of each copulatory pouch ( Fig. 5B ). Female pore single mid-ventral in XIV, milk-white, elliptical, slightly swollen.

Internal characters. Septa 8/9–9/10 absent, 5/6–7/8 thickened and muscular, 10/11–12/13 thicker than those following. Dorsal blood vessel single, continuous onto pharynx; esophageal hearts four pairs in X–XIII, the first pair less developed than the others. Gizzard bucket-like, in VIII–X; intestine swelling in XV; intestinal caeca simple, originating in XXVII and extending forward to XXIV, horn-shaped sac, smooth on dorsal and ventral margins. Male organs: Testis-sacs in X and XI; oval, separated ventro-medially. Seminal vesicles in XI, XII, welldeveloped, both connected ventro-medially with a slim tube. Prostate gland well-developed, coarsely lobate, in XVI–XXI, a small inverted U-shaped duct, stout, in XVIII ( Fig. 5C ). No visible accessory glands on XVIII. Female organs: Spermathecae three pairs in VII–IX, about 2.4 mm long; ampulla heart-shaped, distinctly marked off from its duct, duct as long as half of ampulla; diverticulum about 2.0 mm long, distal ½ dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber; no nephridia on spermathecal ducts ( Fig. 5D ).

DNA barcodes. GenBank accession numbers KY774380 (C-FJ 201008 -02, holotype), KY774381 (C- FJ 201101 -03, paratype), KY774382 (C-AH201610-04, paratype), KY774383 (C-AH201609-03, paratype), KY774384 (C-AH201610-03, paratype).

Remarks. The new species keys to the Metaphire houlleti -group ( Sims & Easton 1972). This group is diagnosed by three pairs of intersegmental spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9, male pores on XVIII, bithecate, and post-clitellar genital markings not present in 17/18 and/or 18/19.

The specimens were collected from a wide area: six locations in three provinces (Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui, China). Despite extensive literature searches, no cosmopolitan species that were a close match were found. However, three Chinese endemic species slightly resemble the new species. They are Metaphire tschiliensis kokoanus ( Chen & Fong, 1975) , Metaphire tschiliensis lanzhouensis ( Feng, 1984) and Metaphire ptychosiphona Qiu & Zhong, 1993 . Even though these four species all have three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9 and a pair of small male copulatory pouches, each of the three slightly similar species has its own distinctive characteristics when compared with M. sanmingensis , sp. nov. This medium-sized new species normally has papillae in the spermathecal pore region, well-developed prostate glands, and a rod-shaped diverticulum seminal chamber; M. tschiliensis kokoanus has a different arrangement of spermathecal pore region papillae, and its diverticulum seminal chamber is longer than the main spermathecal axis ( Chen et al. 1975); M. tschiliensis lanzhouensis has a larger body, up to 310 mm long and 7 mm wide, no genital papillae in the spermathecal pore region, small prostate glands, and a twisted seminal chamber ( Feng 1984); M. ptychosiphona has a larger body, up to 295 mm long and 9 mm wide, no genital papillae in spermathecal pore region, small prostate glands and a twisted seminal chamber ( Qiu & Zhong 1993).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Metaphire sanmingensis sp. nov. A. Spermathecal pores (sp) and genital papillae (gp). B. Male pores (mp) and genital papillae (gp). C. Prostate gland. D. Spermatheca.