Amynthas robustus ( Perrier, 1872 )

Assis, José Eriberto De, Botelho, José Roberto, Souza, Botelho, Martins, Maria Laís, Vieira, Martins, Souza, João Vitor Nunes De, Rodrigues, Gilberto Gonçalves & Christoffersen, Martin Lindsey, 2017, A catalogue of the Eudrilidae and Megascolecidae (Clitellata: Lumbricina) from South America, with two new records of exotic species from Brazil, Turkish Journal of Zoology 41 (4), pp. 599-614 : 603

7. Amynthas robustus ( Perrier, 1872)

Perichaeta cingulata (part cf. P. darnleiensis ): Vaillant, 1867: 234; Perichaeta robusta Perrier, 1872: 112 , figs. 67– 68; Perichaeta masatakae Beddard, 1892: 761 ;? Pheretima campestris Goto & Hatai, 1898: 67 [non campestris Lee, 1952 (= A. corticis )];? Perichaeta parvicystis Goto & Hatai, 1899: 18 , figs. 8, 8a, 8b; Megascolex robustus : Vaillant, 1889: 76; Pheretima lauta Ude, 1905: 405 (429?, 464?; Pheretima lauta Chen, 1933: 282 , fig. 26;? Pheretima zavattarii Cognetti, 1909: 1 ; Cognetti, 1909: 310; Pheretima ornata Gates, 1927: 20 ; Pheretima corrugata Chen, 1931: 131 ; 1933: 278 (non P. corrugata kulingiana );? Pheretima sheni Chen, 1935: 38 ; Pheretima robusta : Michaelsen, 1900: 299.

Amynthas robustus : Sims and Easton, 1972: 234; Easton, 1981: 56 (syn. mastakae [sic lapsus pro masatakae ], campestris Goto & Hatai, 1898 [non Lee, 1952], lauta , corrugata ); Blakemore, 2002, 2008.

New record: Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil: ( BRA: PB) .

Further distribution: Mauritius, Philippines, Myanmar, India, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Okinawa?, Madagascar ( Gates, 1972; Blakemore, 2002, 2010); São Paulo, Brazil (Righi, 1967), cited as P. aspergillum .

Examined material: Specimen: One adult specimen collected on 8 May 2010 in an urban area located in Campina Grande (7°12′56.60″S, 35°53′50.34″W), State of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil ( UFPB 1460 ) ( Figure 1D ) .

Description: Length: 105 mm. Diameter: 4–5 mm. Segments: 96. Prostomium: open epilobous. First dorsal pore: 11/12. Setae: perichaetine. Nephropores: absent. Clitellum: 14–16, annular, darker than the rest of the earthworm. Spermathecal pores: 2 pairs in 7/8/9. Female pores: single on 14. Male pores:a pair on conical porophores in 18. Genital markings: one pair anterior-median to the male pores ( Figure 2A ). Septa: 5/6–7/8 thickened and 8/9/10 absent. Spermathecae: 2 pairs in 8 and 9 ( Figure 2B ). Nephridia: meroic. Gizzard: 8–9. Hearts: 10–13. Calciferous glands: absent. Ovaries: a pair in 13. Testes: 10 and 11, seminal vesicles large in 11 and 12, pseudovesicles in 13–14. Prostate glands: racemose, opening in 18 and extending into 16–19 ( Figure 2C ). Intestinal origin: 15, with a pair of ceca extending into 26–20 ( Figure 2D ).

Remarks: A. robustus was found in association with E. eugeniae in the first 10-cm layer of soil with a high concentration of organic matter. A. robustus often reproduces by parthenogenesis because of male sterility. A record from America based on a British Museum specimen was erroneously labeled A. gracilis according to Gates (1972). Fragoso and Brown (2007) considered this species as exotic for Brazil.

Figures

Figure 1. Geographical distribution in South America of exotic Eudrilidae (A) and Megascolecidae (B–D) species: A) Eudrilus euganiae (circle), and Hyperiodrilus africanus (star); B) Amynthas aeruginosus (circle), and Amynthas corticis (square); C) Amynthas gracilis (triangle); D) Amynthas morrisi (star) and Amynthas robustus (circle) (new record from Brazil).

Figure 2. A) Amynthas robustus, anterior body part in ventral view, genital markings on 18; B) spermatheca with a single diverticulum; C) prostatic gland; D) intestinal caecum.