Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872)

Wang, Yu-Hsi & Shih, Hsi-Te, 2010, Earthworm fauna of Eastern Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae), Zootaxa 2341, pp. 52-68 : 59

Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872)

Pheretima aspergillum— Gates 1959: 1; Tsai 1964: 29.

Amynthas aspergillus— Sims & Easton 1972: 234.

Amynthas aspergillum— Blakemore et al. 2006: 228; Tsai et al. 2009: 38.

Material examined. 2 adults, NCHUZOOL 13509, Su-ao, Ilan Co., Taiwan, coll. Hsi-Te Shih, 16 Feb. 1997; 5 adults, NCHUZOOL 13512, Wuling Minimum-Security Prison Farm, Luye, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. S.- H. Wu, 15 May 2006; 2 adults, NCHUZOOL 13510, 22°41’42.11”N, 121°00’59.9”E, Jhihben Canal Water Park, Taimali, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang & Long-Yun Fan, 22 Oct. 2004; 4 adults, NCHUZOOL 13511, 22°32’5.3”N, 120°58’0.2”E, Jinlun, Taimali, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang, 23 Oct. 2004; 1 adult, NCHUZOOL 13526, Lanyu Primary School (old), Lanyu, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang, 2 Apr. 2008.

Diagnosis. Dimensions 178–219 mm by 5.5–7.4 mm in x, 5.4–7.8 mm in xxx, 5.0– 7.7 mm in clitellum; body cylindrical throughout, segments 132–150. First dorsal pore at 11/12. Clitellum annular, xiv–xvi; smooth. Female pore single on xiv. Male pores on xviii, with around 7 genital markings, 8–11 setae between male pores. Spermathecal pores lateral at 7/8–8/9, 3 genital markings arranged in front at 8/9 spermathecal pore. Prostates large in xviii, extending to xvii and xxi.

Remarks. Tsai (1964) mentioned this species with the prostates occupying xviii–xxii, and 12–19 setae between the male pores. Specimens collected from eastern Taiwan have large prostates occupying xvii–xxi, and with only 8–11 setae between male pores, which slightly differs from Tsai’s (1964) description. The difference in external and internal characters may represent intraspecific variations.

Prostomium Length Clitellum No. of Genital Male Distribution References (mm) segments markings pores

D. affinis epilobic 23–33 xiii–xxi 103–131 mid 7/8– xviii Taiwan, China Michaelsen 1900;

(Michaelsen, 9/10 (Hainan), Myanmar Csuzdi 1995;

1890) (= Burma), India, Shen et al. 2008a

Thailand, Cambodia,

Laos, Vietnam,

Australia, New

Caledonia, Central

America, Brazil, Africa,

Madagascar

D. annae epilobic 1/2 30 xiii–xx 92 NA xvii–xix Myanmar, India Stephenson

(Horst, 1893) 1931a; Csuzdi

1995.

D. bolaui proepilobic 20–40 xiii–xiv, 78–97 NA xviii Myanmar, India, New Michaelsen 1900;

(Michaelsen, xviii, Guinea, Germany, USA Gates 1972; Sims

1891) extending to (California) & Gerard 1985; xix Csuzdi 1995

D. saliens epilobic 17–70 xiii–xix or 73–125 15/16 xvii Taiwan, Myanmar, Stephenson

(Beddard, xx 1/2 India, Malaysia, 1931a; Gates

1893) Indonesia (Java), 1972; Csuzdi Australia (Christmas I.), 1995; Shen & Tsai South Africa, USA 2007 (California), El

Salvador, Panama