Okudrilus Csuzdi & Sherlock, 2015

Csuzdi, Cs., Sherlock, E., Kouete, M. Talla & Doherty-Bone, T. M., 2015, Four new earthworm species from the highlands of Cameroon with description of a new genus Okudrilus gen. n. (Oligochaeta: Eudrilidae & Acanthodrilidae), African Invertebrates 56 (1), pp. 25-38 : 28

Okudrilus Csuzdi & Sherlock gen. n.

Etymology: Referring to Mount Oku, North-West Region, Cameroon —the highest mountain in the region and a collecting locality of all three the new species. Gender: masculine.

Diagnosis: Eudrilinae with closely paired setae and paired male pores close to 17/18. Spermathecal pores preclitellar, paired between a–a. Female pores paired in 14 close to 14/15 near d. Oesophageal gizzard in 6, intestinal gizzards absent. Dorsal blood vessel simple throughout. Paired calciferous glands in 12 and unpaired chylous-sacs in 10, 11. Male genital apparatus metandric with long, backward-running vesicles. Excretory system holoic, vesiculate. Ovo-spermathecal apparatus paired with ventral interconnecting duct. Simple penial setae present.

All species in this genus are known only from highland areas above 1000 m in the North West Region .

Type-species: Okudrilus monticolus sp. n.

Remarks: Okudrilis gen. n. is similar to Metascolex Michaelsen, 1903 in the paired genital pores and metandric condition of the male genitalia; however, Okudrilis differs from it in the position of the gizzard (it is in 5 in Metascolex and 6 in Okudrilus ), in the interconnected ovo-spermathecal system and furthermore by the presence of penial setae. Okudrilis with its paired calciferous glands in 12 and paired genital pores resembles Vomia Segun, 1976 as well, but differs from it in the metandric condition of the male genitalia and the long backward-running vesicles (Table 1).