Righiodrilus moju Bartz, Santos & James

Santos, Bianca Tamires Silva Dos, Bartz, Marie Luise Caroline, Hernández-García, Luis Manuel, Rousseau, Guillaume Xavier, Martins, Marlucia Bonifácio & James, Samuel Wooster, 2017, New earthworm species of Righiodrilus (Clitellata, Glossoscolecidae) from eastern Amazonia, Zootaxa 4242 (2), pp. 392-400 : 396-399

Righiodrilus moju Bartz, Santos & James , n. sp.

( Figure 3 )

Holotype. MPEG 0 0 0 278, adult. Type locality. Moju-Pará, habitat tropical rain forest perturbed, 2°10”40.76”S, 48°47'36.72”W, 31 masl. 14–18 August 2014, Santos, BTS & team colls.

Paratypes. MPEG 0 0 0 285, four adults. Same locality as holotype.

Etymology. The species is named for the region where it was found.

Description. Holotype 86 mm by 5 mm at x, 6 mm at clitellum, 4 mm at xxx, 230 segments; paratypes 67 mm by 4.2 mm at x, 4.3 mm at clitellum and 3.5 mm at xxx, 196 segments. Body cylindrical and slightly flattened. Setae ab commence on iii. Setae closely paired throughout; setal formula aa:ab:bc:cd: dd = 0.7:0.6:0.6:0.6:1 at xxx. Prostomium tentacular, post-setal secondary annulations present viii–xiv and after clitellum. Unpigmented, clitellum whitish. Ovipores in b setal lines 0.7 mm apart on xiv; male pores 3.5 mm apart on xx within paired oval dimpled porophores; clitellum saddle to just above b, xvi–xxiii ( Fig. 3 B); Four pairs of intumescences on seta c in segments xviii–xxi ( Fig. 3 A,B). Tubercula pubertatis absent. Nephropores between bc.

Septa 6/7,7/8, 8/9, 9/10, 10/11 equally thick and muscular, septum 11/12 absent. Alimentary canal with large cylindrical gizzard in vi; esophagus with high lamellae in radial pattern vii–xii, valvular in xiv, intestinal origin xv; typhlosole origin xvi–xxx simple lamina, xix–xxviii, zig-zag with ventral edge bent over to form pockets, after xxix becoming triple lamina. Calciferous glands paired xii ( Fig. 3 E,F), under seminal vesicles, composite-tubular type, comma-shaped, not pedunculated; blood vessels to gland include large branch of dorsal vessel to approximate center of each gland. Calcium carbonate reservoir shape conical. Holonephric, vesiculate; ducts to body wall near level of b setae. Vascular system with ventral trunk, single dorsal trunk, lateral vessels in vii–ix, latero-esophageal hearts in x–xi, last pair (xi) enclosed in testis sacs. Extra-esophageal vessel from pharyngeal glands, along ventrallateral face of gizzard, esophagus back to calciferous glands; supraesophageal vessel in x–xi. Ovaries, ovarian funnels free in xiii; two pairs of spermathecae in segments ix and x ( Fig. 3 C,D); spermathecae cylindrical and elongate, ca. 3 mm long. Male sexual system metandric, testes and funnels in single midventral subesophageal sac in xi; medial to hearts of xi pass narrow tubes to seminal vesicles; seminal vesicles lobulated expanded in xii, penetrate septa and range posteriorly along intestine to xii–xvi; vasa deferentia on body wall between bc en route to enter body wall in segment xx.

Remarks. The difference between the new species and all other members of the genus is the absence of tubercula pubertatis, unique combination the form and quantity of spermathecae and with pair of intumescences the ventral region of body. Righiodrilus moju n. sp. is similar to R. mairaro ( Righi, 1982) and R. arapaco ( Righi, 1982) with regard to the shape, number and position of the spermathecae, and the characters of the clitellum.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Righiodrilus moju n. sp. A. Ventral view of anterior body with clitellum. B. Lateral view of anterior body with clitellum. C. Spermatheca. D. Photography of the spermathecae (partly in segment ix and completely in segment x). E. Dorsal view of calciferous gland of xii. F. Photography of dorsal view showing internal structures: gizzard (segment vi), spermathecae (segments ix and x) and calciferous gland (segment xii); g = gizzard, s = spermathecae, c = calciferous gland.