Pheretima mariae, Hong, Yong & James, Samuel W., 2008

Hong, Yong & James, Samuel W., 2008, Three new earthworms of the genus Pheretima (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Mt. Makiling, Luzon Island, Philippines, Zootaxa 1695, pp. 45-52 : 48

Pheretima mariae sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 A–B)

Material. Holotype: Clitellate specimen (NMA 004197): Philippines, Laguna Province, Mt. Makiling Peak 2 Summit (14° 08.23’N, 121° 11.54’E), 1100 m, 6 February 2001, S. W. James coll.

Etymology. Named after “Maria Makiling”, the legendary goddess that lives in the mountain.

Description. Solid dark violet on entire dorsum, ventral surface pigmented in I–IV only. Dimensions 55 mm by 2.5 mm at segment X, 2.0 mm at XXX, 2.5 mm at clitellum, segments 74; body circular in cross-section. Setae numbering 32 at VII, 31 at XX; 1 between male pores, setal size equal on dorsum and ventrum, spacing slightly greater spacing on dorsum, setal formula AA:AB:YZ:ZZ= 2:2:3:4 at XIII. Clitellum annular XIV–XVI; setae invisible externally.

First dorsal pore 12/13. One pair of spermathecal pores in 7/8 at 2nd setal lines, near mid-ventrum, 0.04 circumference ventrally apart, openings of copulatory bursae 0.3 mm in diameter, paired in XVIII at 5th setal lines, male openings 0.09 circumference ventrally apart. Female pore on XIV, in 0.3 mm circular area. Genital markings lacking.

Septum 5/6 absent, 6/7 with some thin muscular fiber, 7/8 very thin, 8/9/10 absent, 10/11–13/14 thin. Gizzard in VIII–X, intestine begins in XVI, small paired lymph glands from XXVII along dorsal vessel; intestinal caeca simple, originating in XXVII and extending anteriorly about to XXV, finger-shaped sac, 34–36 intestinal blood vessels; typhlosole large from XXVII. Hearts in X–XIII.

Ovaries and funnels in XIII. Spermathecae in VII with nephridia on ducts; spermathecae with small lenticular ampulla, wrinkled on the surface by folding around gut, broad muscular duct shorter than ampulla; diverticulum with small ovate iridescent chamber, duct slender, longer than chamber. Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels in ventrally paired sacs in X–XI. Seminal vesicles two pairs in XI–XII, very thin dorsal lobes in medial clefts. Prostates in XVII–XX, 4 main lobes longitudinally arranged lateral to copulatory bursae; long muscular ducts extending posteriorly to hairpin bend in XX, then anteriorly adjacent, attached to lateral face of copulatory bursa, and entering it from midlateral; copulatory bursae without pads and stalked glands; large digitate penis filling bursa.

Remarks. Pheretima mariae sp. nov. keys to the sangirensis group in Sims & Easton (1972) which is composed of 13 species, of which the following three are Indonesian: P. sangirensis Michaelsen 1891 , P. c e r - amensis Cognetti, 1922 and P. unicystis Lee 1981 . The first is composed of three subspecies P. s. chica, Michaelsen P. s. crassicystis Michaelsen and P. s. sangirensis Michaelsen (Michaelsen, 1896), taxonomic history of which is discussed in James (2004). Recently, James (2004) added 10 species to this group. They are P. quincunxia , P. diesmosi , P. asurgo ( Blakemore, 2006) , P. monoporata , P. vicinipora , P. baungonensis , P. paucisetosa , P. alba , P. rubida , and P. virgata . All ten species are from the Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Pheretima mariae sp. nov., Pheretima lagunaensis sp. nov., P. a l b a, and P. sangirensis are the only members lacking septa 8/9 and 9/10 ( Table 1 ). P. alba has only 24 intestinal vessels and is unpigmented, while P. sangirensis is a large worm with an intestinal origin in XV and more setae than P. m a r i a e sp. nov. Pheretima mariae sp. nov. is similar to Pheretima lagunaensis sp. nov., but differs from it by having fewer setae in VII and XX, and more intestinal blood vessels (P. m a r i a e 34–36, P. lagunaensis 28–30). It also has no bursal pads like P. monoporata , P. rubida , and P. lagunaensis sp. nov. Pheretima mariae sp. nov. can be distinguished from the first two species by the following characters: P. monoporata has an intestinal origin in XVII, rather than XVI, half as many intestinal blood vessels though the two species are of similar body dimensions, and is monothecate rather than bithecate. Pheretima rubida has four setae between the male pores rather than one, has septa 8/9/10 rather than lacking them, is red-brown rather than violet, and has 26 intestinal blood vessels rather than 34–36, in spite of being a slightly larger worm.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pheretima mariae sp. nov. A: ventral view; B: spermathecae. spermathecae. Scale bars = 2.5 mm (A), 2 mm (B).