Two new earthworms of the genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from Mt Jiri,Korea

Two new species of the genus Amynthas are described from Mt Jiri (Korea): Amynthas baikmudongensis sp. nov., and Amynthas cheonghakdongensis sp. nov. The species A. baikmudongensis sp. nov. has two pairs of spermathecal pores in intersegments 5/6/7; large circular-shaped raised pads extending from 17/18, 18/19 with transverse grooves extending from approximately the centres of the pads towards the presetal half of the pad. The others species, A. cheonghakdongensis sp. nov., has two pairs of spermathecal pores in intersegments 6/7/8; and circular male porophores extending from 17/18 to 18/19.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A3E018E9-A520-4841-A1C9-E27870F24E88     

Four new species of terrestrial earthworms belonging to the genus Amynthas (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) from Taiwan with discussion on speculative synonyms and species delimitation in oligochaete taxonomy

This paper describes four new species of earthworms, Amynthas shinanmontis sp. nov., Amynthas chilanensis sp. nov., Amynthas bilineatus sp. nov., and Amynthas cruxus sp. nov. from Taiwan. Amynthas shinanmontis is sexthecate and parthenogenetic with individuals with various levels of degeneration of spermathecae and male reproductive organs. It occurs at elevations of 1700–2700 m in the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan. Amynthas bilineatus and A. chilanensis are athecate and also parthenogenetic. They occur, respectively, at elevations of 1000 m in the central region and 1325 m in the northeastern region of Taiwan. Amynthas cruxus is octothecate, amphimictic, and occurs at elevations of 900–1700 m in southern Taiwan. This paper also discusses confusion and dilemma caused by uncertain, speculative synonyms and parthenogenetic morphs in species delimitation in oligochaete taxonomy, and recommends the use of absolute synonyms and phylogenetic species concept.     

Four new species of Amynthas earthworms (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from the Central Mountain Range of southern Taiwan

Four new species of terrestrial earthworms belonging to the genus Amynthas (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) are described from the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan. Two octothecate species, Amynthas pavimentus sp. nov. and Amynthas biorbis sp. nov., were found at elevations of 2000–2700 m and 412–1000 m, respectively, on both east and west slopes. Amynthas pavimentus has patched genital papillae between setal line and intersegmental furrow in VIII–IX and XVII–XX. Amynthas biorbis has a pair of large papillae adjacent to male porophores in XVIII. The other two species are the octothecate Amynthas libratus sp. nov., found at 1000 m, and the sexthecate Amynthas hongyehensis sp. nov., found at 950–1000 m, on the eastern slope. Amynthas libratus is related to A. pavimentus but has horizontal rows of papillae along setal lines or intersegmental furrows in VII–IX and XVII–XX. Amynthas hongyehensis has two pairs of large, presetal papillae medial to male porophores in XVIII and XIX.     

Four new earthworms of the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Mount Emei,Sichuan Province,China

Four new species were collected from Mt. Emei, Sichuan Province, China. They are Amynthas leshanensis sp. nov., Amynthas gilvus sp. nov., Amynthas retortus sp. nov. and Amynthas orbicularis sp. nov. The first three species could be assigned to the Amynthas sieboldi group and the last species could be assigned to the Amynthas aeruginosus group according to the definition of Sims and Easton. A. leshanensis sp. nov. has the male pore porophore surrounded by a large irregular-shaped pad which extends from 17/18–½ XIX, and the intestinal caeca are complex. A. gilvus sp. nov. has each male pore on a slightly raised elliptical glandular flat-top pad, with a pointed extension lateral to each porophore. Amynthas retortus sp. nov. has a pair of small, round post-setal genital papillae medial to male porophores on XVII, spermathecal seminal chambers are twisted into zigzags and accessory glands are present on spermathecae and prostate gland areas. A. orbicularis sp. nov. has the spermathecal pores near dorso-lateral, complex intestinal caeca complex, three accessory glands with long ducts near the male pores, and the spermathecal seminal chambers are twisted into zigzags. The barcode data (partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) of each species has been submitted to the National Center of Biotechnology Information GenBank.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5B82315E-5CF8-4048-87C4-B702021464B5     

A new gigantic earthworm of the genus Metaphire Sims and Easton (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) from Taiwan with reference to evolutional trends in body sizes and segment numbers of the Pheretima genus-group

This paper describes a new species of gigantic terrestrial earthworm Metaphire taiwanensis sp. nov. from western Taiwan. It reached the maximum length of 860 mm for a living clitellate and 637 mm after preservation. It is an autochthonous species found in Mt Beidongyan and the Meifeng area of the Central Mountain Range at elevations of 1800–2100 m. M. taiwanensis is octothecate and protandric, characters shared by Metaphire stephensoni (Michaelsen) of Indochina, and Metaphire bununa Tsai, Tsai and Liaw and Metaphire paiwanna Tsai, Tsai and Liaw of Taiwan. These four species are combined as a new species-group called the stephensoni-group within the genus Metaphire Sims and Easton. It is closely related to the congeneric ignobilis species-group, which is also octothecate but holandric. It differs from holandric and quadrithecate Metaphire magna (Chen) of Hainan Island, in which the length also reaches 700 mm. Specific variation and evolutionary trends in sizes and segment numbers of the Pheretima genus-group are discussed.     

Three new species of earthworms belonging to the genera Amynthas and Metaphire (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Yunnan,China

ABSTRACT

Herein, three new species are described, all from Yunnan Province, China: Amynthas hiatus sp. nov., Amynthas recavus sp. nov. and Metaphire daliensis sp. nov. Amynthas hiatus sp. nov. belongs to the Amynthas aeruginosus-group, A. recavus sp. nov. belongs to the Amynthas corticis-group and M. daliensis sp. nov. belongs to Metaphire insulana-group. Amynthas hiatus sp. nov. and M. daliensis sp. nov. have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 7/8-8/9, A. recavus sp. nov. has four pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6-8/9. The male pores of A. hiatus sp. nov. are 1/3 circumference apart ventrally and each on top of a large, raised pulvinate pad; the male pores of A. recavus sp. nov. are 2/5 circumference apart ventrally and each on top of a raised, elliptic, collapse-topped porophore; the male pores of M. daliensis sp. nov. are 2/5 circumference apart ventrally and in the oval copulatory chambers. In this paper, the anatomical and morphological characters of these three species are described. We also sequenced COI and 12S gene fragments in order to provide an analysis of K2P distances and a neighbour-joining tree.