Righiodrilus viseuensis 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 : 395-396

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

( Figure 2 )

Holotype. MPEG 0 0 0 258, adult. Type locality. Viseu , Pará, tropical rain forest perturbed, 1°35'15.37” S, 46°16'40.18”W,47 masl. 14–18 August 2014, Santos, BTS; Aguiar-Neto, M & Barros, L colls.

Paratypes. MPEG 0 0 0 248 one adult, MPEG 0 0 0 252 three adults, MPEG 0 0 0 260 two adults. Same locality as holotype.

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

Description. Holotype 95 mm by 3 mm at x, 4 mm at clitellum, 4 mm at xxx, 284 segments; paratypes 92.25 mm by 4.5 mm at x, 4.5 mm at clitellum and 4.25 mm at xxx, 241 segments. Body cylindrical and slightly flattened. Setae ab commence on iii. Setae closely paired throughout; setal formula aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 0.7:0.7:0.5:0.6:2 at xxx. Prostomium tentacular, post-setal secondary annulations present viii–xiv and after clitellum ( Fig. 2 C). Unpigmented, clitellum whitish. Ovipores in b 0.7 mm apart on xiv; male pores 3 mm apart on xix within paired oval dimpled porophores; clitellum saddle to just above b, xvi–xxiii ( Fig. 2 A); tubercula pubertatis in xix–xxiii ( Fig. 2 A,B). Nephropores within bc.

Septa 9/10, 10/11 and 11/12 thin; 6/7, 7/8 and 8/9 equally thick and muscular. Alimentary canal with large cylindrical gizzard in vi; esophagus with high lamellae in chevron pattern vii–xi, valvular in xiv, intestinal origin xv; typhlosole origin xvi, xvii–xxxiii simple lamina in zig-zag with ventral edge bent over to form pockets, simple lamina xxxiv–xliv, after xliv becoming triple lamina. Calciferous glands paired xii, under seminal vesicles, composite-tubular type, comma-shaped, pedunculated ( Fig. 2 E); blood vessels to gland include large branch of dorsal vessel to approximate center of each gland. Calcium carbonate reservoir shape conical. Holonephric, vesiculate; nephridial 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 ventral-lateral face of gizzard, esophagus back to calciferous glands; supraesophageal vessel in x–xi. Ovaries, ovarian funnels free in xiii; three pairs of spermathecae in segments vi, vii and viii; spermathecae rounded and convex ( Fig. 2 D,F), size 1.24x 0.23mm to 0.90x 0.12mm. 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 expanded in xii, penetrate septa and range posteriorly along intestine to xx; seminal vesicles lobulated occupying xii to xx; vasa deferentia on body wall at b en route to enter body wall in segment xix.

Remarks. The new species is unique among members of the genus for having the tubercula pubertatis in xix– xxiii and clitellum in xvi–xxiii. Righiodrilus viseuensis n. sp. is similar to R. tinga ( Righi, 1971) and R. schubarti ( Righi, Ayres & Bittencourt, 1978) in the number and position of the spermathecae. R. schubarti differs from the new species by the position of the clitellum at xv–xxiv, and R. tinga differs from the new species by male pores in xvii/xviii. R. viseuensis n. sp. is also similar to R. tico ( Righi, 1982) by having the male pores in 1/2 xix; the latter species differs by the position of tubercula pubertatis in 1/2 xix–1/2 xxi.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Righiodrilus viseuensis n. sp. A. Lateral view of anterior body with clitellum. B. Ventral view of anterior body with clitellum. C. Photography of lateral view of anterior body with clitellum. D. Spermathecae of vi – viii. E. Dorsal view of calciferous gland of xii. F. Photography of dorsal view showing gizzard (segment vi), spermathecae (segments vi, vii and viii) and calciferous gland (segment xii); g = gizzard, s = spermathecae, c = calciferous gland. G. Somatic seta A of xv.