Millsonia BEDDARD, 1894

Csuzdi, Cs., 2006, West African Earthworm Genus Millsonia Beddard, 1894 (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Benhamiinae) Reviewed And Separation Of A New Genus, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 52 (1), pp. 35-48 : 36-37

Millsonia BEDDARD, 1894

Millsonia BEDDARD, 1894: 380 ., BEDDARD 1895: 479; OMODEO 1955: 218 (part.); OMODEO 1958: 59 (part.); SIMS 1965 a: 299 (part.); SIMS 1965b: 39; OMODEO 1973: 15; SIMS 1986: 277 (part.); CSUZDI 1995 a: 116 (part.); CSUZDI 1995b: 34; CSUZDI 1996: 360 (part.); CSUZDI 2000 a: 75 (part.); CSUZDI 2000 b: 29 (part.).

Dichogaster BEDDARD, 1888 : MICHAELSEN 1900: 334 (part.); STEPHENSON 1930: 851 (part.).

Diagnosis. Male terminalia acanthodriline, sometimes with microscolecine reduction. Two gizzards before the genital segments, three pairs of stalked extramural calciferous glands in segments xv–xvii, excretory system meroic with astomate meronephridia and caudal exonephric stomate megameronephridia. Paired digitate caeca present in at least one, usually several adjacent segments of the intestine. Typhlosole present, ventral setae normal.

Type species – Millsonia nigra BEDDARD, 1894 ( OMODEO 1955 by subsequent designation)

Other species: M. ashantiensis SIMS, 1986 ; M. caecifera ( BENHAM, 1894) ; M. centralis SIMS, 1986 ; M. guttata ( MICHAELSEN, 1913) ; M. heteronephra ( MICHAELSEN, 1897) ; M. inermis ( MICHAELSEN, 1892) ; M. lamtoiana OMODEO & VAILLAUD, 1967 ; M. meridionalis OMODEO, 1973 ; M. mima (MICHAELSEN, 1891) ; M. nilesi SIMS, 1986 ; M. pulvillaris SIMS, 1986 ; M. pumilia SIMS, 1965 ; M. riparia SIMS, 1986 ; M. schlegeli (HORST, 1884) ; M. sokodeana ( MICHAELSEN, 1913) .

Remarks. SIMS (1986) excluded from Millsonia the penial setae bearing species M. meridionalis and M. schlegeli , but later CSUZDI (1995 a, b, 1996) argued for back-placing these species into Millsonia on the basis of shared presence of intestinal caeca and the similar structure of spermathecae.