Pithemera Sims and Easton 1972

Aspe, Nonillon M. & James, Samuel W., 2016, NeW species OF Pheretima, Amynthas, Polypheretima, and Pithemera (Clitellata: MegascOlecidae) FrOm MindanaO and assOciated islands, Philippines, Zoological Studies 55 (8), pp. 1-33 : 27-28

Genus Pithemera Sims and Easton 1972

Type species: Perichaeta bicincta Perrier

1875.

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Generic Diagnosis

Body cylindrical; setae numerous, regularly arranged around each segment; clitellum annular, covering two, two and a half, or three segments from xiv to xv, and/or half of xvi; spermathecal pores small, three to five pairs from 4/5 to 8/9; female pore single or paired in xiv; genital markings present or absent; intestinal caeca originate in or near xxii (in Pheretima , caeca originate in xxvii); spermathecal ducts lack nephridia (as in Amynthas and Polypheretima ); male system holandric or metandric; prostate gland racemose; copulatory bursae may be present or absent.

Pithemera nolani n. sp. ( Fig. 5E , Table 4 ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0A779DE1-6BC2-449F-B6A6-C684CEEB8989

Material examined: Holotype: adult ( NMA 4600 ), municipality of San Isidro , Davao Occidental Province , Mt. Hamiguitan (06°44'03"N, 126°12'15"E), 1430 m asl., Mindanao Island, Philippines, coll. Nolan Aspe, J. Cantil, 7-10 May 2006 . Paratypes: five adults (NMA 4616); four adults (ZRC.ANN 0069), same collection data as for holotype.

Etymology: The species is named after Nolan Aspe, who assisted in the fieldwork.

Diagnosis: Reddish brown worm, adult length 143-159 mm; equators non-pigmented making the body appear striped; pair of spermathecal pores at intersegment 5/6; first dorsal pore at 11/12; 9-11 setae between male pores; spermathecae large, ovate; intestinal origin in xiv; copulatory bursae present.

Description: Reddish brown dorsum, pale ventrum, equators non-pigmented, making the body appear striped. Length 143-159 mm (n = 5 adults); diameter 7.5 mm at x, 7 mm at xx; body circular in cross-section, tail tapering; 100 - 114 segments. First dorsal pore at 11/12, paired spermathecal pores at 5/6, distance between spermathecal pores 4.5 mm (0.19 circumference apart ventrally). Female pore single in xiv, openings of male pores paired in xviii, distance between pores 4.5 mm (0.20 circumference apart ventrally), 9-11 setae between pores. Clitellum annular, from xiv to xvi. Setae irregularly distributed around equators in some segments; 34-36 setae on vii, 56-59 setae on xx, dorsal setal gaps present, ventral setal gaps lacking. Genital markings lacking.

Zoological Studies 55: 8 (2016)

Septa 4/5-7/8 and 13/14 thin, 10/11-12/13 muscular, 8/9/10 lacking. Dense tufts of nephridia on anterior faces of 5/6 and 6/7; nephridia of intestinal segments located mainly on body near septum/body wall junction. Large gizzard in viii-x, esophagus with low vertical lamellae x-xiii, intestinal origin in xiv; caeca simple, originating in xxiii, extending forward to xxi; typhlosole originating in xxiii, simple fold slightly less than lumen diameter. Hearts in x to xiii, esophageal; commissural vessels in vi, vii, and ix lateral; those in viii extend to gizzard.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii. Spermathecae paired, postseptal in vi, nephridia on ducts lacking. Each spermatheca large, with ovate ampulla; bulbous, muscular duct; single stalked diverticulum attached to right face of duct of right spermatheca, and to left face of duct of left spermatheca; stalks long, terminating in sausage-shaped receptacle. Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; seminal vesicles in xi, xii, each with digitate dorsal lobe; vasa deferentia slender, free from body wall on way to ental end of prostatic ducts; prostates in xvi to xx or xv to xix; each prostate a dense, racemose mass with four lobes; muscular duct entering from the lateral margin of prostate to posterior margin of copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae round in xvii-xix; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; roof with two thick pads, floor pads lacking; penis lacking.

Remarks: Sims and Easton (1972) include the absence of copulatory bursae as one of the distinguishing characters of Pithemera . But despite the presence of copulatory bursae in Pi. nolani n. sp., we assign this new species in Pithemera rather than in Pheretima on the basis of having no nephridia on the spermathecal ducts and in having the caecal origin near xxii. Therefore, we amend the generic diagnosis of Pithemera Sims and Easton 1972 , to include species with copulatory bursae.

Pithemera species reported from the Philippines include: Pi. bicincta Perrier 1875 ; Pi. rotunda James et al. 2004 ; Pi. philippinensis James et al. 2004 ; Pi. duhuani Hong and James 2008a ; Pi. fragumae Hong and James 2008a ; Pi. ifugaoensis Hong and James 2008a ; Pi. triangulata Hong and James 2008a ; Pi. glandis Hong and James 2011a ; Pi. fusiformis Hong and James 2011a ; Pi. levii Hong and James 2011a ; Pi. malindangensis Aspe and James 2015 ; Pi. duminagati Aspe and James 2015 ; Pi. donvictorianoi Aspe and James 2015 ; and Pi.

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nolani n. sp. (this study). Pithemera nolani n. sp. differs from the other Pithemera species in having only a pair of spermathecal pores in 5/6, whereas the others have either five pairs in 4/5- 8/9 ( Pi. bicincta , Pi. rotunda , Pi. philippinensis , Pi. duhuani , Pi. fragumae , Pi. ifugaoensis , Pi. triangulata , Pi. glandis , Pi. fusiformis , Pi. levii , Pi. malindangensis and Pi. duminagati ), four pairs in 5/6-8/9 ( Pi. donvictorianoi ), four pairs in 4/5-7/8 ( Pi. levii ), or three pairs in 4/5-6/7 ( Pi. triangulata ). Pithemera nolani also markedly differs among congeners in possessing copulatory bursae. In addition, Pi. nolani is also the largest (143-159 mm × 3.5 mm) species of Pithemera in the Philippines; other species range from 20-22 mm × 1.7-1.8 mm ( Pi. fusiformis ) to 91-144 mm × 3.5-4 mm ( Pi. malindangensis ), with most having maximum lengths less than 100 mm.

Figures

Fig. 5. Schematic views of the internal and external morphology of the Polypheretima and Pithemera species described here. (A, B) Polypheretima bukidnonensis; (A) dorsal view of internal morphology; (B) external ventral view; (C, D) Polypheretima zamboangensis n. sp.; (C) dorsal view of internal morphology; (D) external ventral view; (E) Pithemera nolani n. sp., dorsal view of internal morphology, with prostates in xv-xix. Abbreviations: s, spermatheca; h, heart; p, prostate gland; cb, copulatory bursa; c, caecum; spbp, spermathecal batteries pores; cl, clitellum, mp, male pores, gm, genital markings. Scale bars: A-E, 5 mm.