Amynthas punicans Blakemore, 2015

Blakemore, Robert J., Lee, Seunghan & Seo, Hong-Yul, 2015, Account of montane and insular speciation in some Korean megadriles (Annelida: Oligochaeta), Journal of Species Research 4 (1), pp. 1-22 : 13

15. Amynthas punicans Blakemore sp. nov. ( Fig. 8 ).

Material. IV0000261322 (Holotype DNA sample HY12) mature, sketched and dissected from Jeombongsan Mt, (37̊01′16.39′′N 128̊25′6.36′′E), collected by Dr H.-Y. Seo, 25 th July, 2013. Five other samples noted above (IV0000216318-21) .

Etymology. Latin punicans (adj.) meaning “blushing” or “reddish” referring to the colour.

Description. Length 69 mm with 100 segments (H). Brightest red iridescent dorsum, body tapers. Epilobous open. First dorsal pore 12/13. Perichaetine with ca. 50 setae. Clitellum weak 14-16. Spermathecae in 5/6/7 lateral. Female pore single on 14. Male pores on small hemicircular porophores equatorially with about a dozen setae intervening and medial to each porophore a small GM disc.

Septa 8/9/10 are aborted. Spermathecal ampullae smallish sacs on muscular duct with long zig-zagging, inseminated spermathecal diverticula. Testis 10 & 11; seminal vesicles large in 11 & 12. Ovaries small and not determined. Last heart in 13. Prostates racemose on circular muscular duct. GM glands not noted. Oesophagus dilated in 12-13 with intestine in 15. Caeca single with indented trailing edge in 27. Gut contains organic soil.

Remarks. The nearest Blast result for HY12 is just 87% for Amynthas tappensis (AB542548.1 from Osaka, Japan). Distinctive characters of A. pumitans are the spermathecal pores in 5/6/7, a character shared with A. fibulus Kobayashi (1936) and A. kobayashii Kobayashi (1938) . The first is similar in its serrated caecum but it lacks GMs in 18 and the spermathecae are small and straight as with A. geojeinsulae Song & Paik (1970); the second has very different male pores and a smooth caecum and can be compared and A. gyeryongensis Hong & Kim, 2002 that also has short spermathecal diverticula. Other known species in Korea with spermathecae in or near 5/6/7 all have male pores in seminal grooves and small diverticula. The DNA data again helps this identity.

Figures

Fig. 8. Amynthas punicans sp. nov. Holotype with X2 enlargement of 7 rhs spermatheca.