Eisenia vaga Blakemore, 2013

Hong, Yong & Csuzdi, Csaba, 2016, New data to the earthworm fauna of the Korean Peninsula with redescription of Eisenia koreana (Zicsi) and remarks on the Eisenia nordenskioldi species group (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae), Zoological Studies 55 (12), pp. 1-15 : 5

Eisenia vaga Blakemore, 2013 stat. nov.

Eisenia japonica vaga Blakemore, 2013: 132 .

Eisenia japonica vaga : Blakemore 2014: 11.

Material examined: South Korea. Incheon-si, Ongjin-gun, Baekryeong-do Island, 28.08.2008, 2 ex. Leg. Y. Hong., Chungcheongnam-do, Cheongyang-gun, Cheongyang, 17.06.2008, 1 ex. Leg. Y. Hong., Jeju-do, Jeju-si, 30.05.2008, 3 ex. Leg. Y. Hong.

Remarks: This is the first record of E. j. vaga after its original description. Our specimens agree well with the original description except the page 5 of 15

somewhat shorter clitellum, presence of slight red pigmentation on dorsum and the somewhat smaller biometry. Length 32-35 × 2 mm, segment No. 110- 122. Clitellum ½ 24-31, tubercles two dorsally connected maize kernel-shaped protuberances on 27, 29. Two pairs of prominent genital papillae around ab on 25, 26 ( Fig. 2 ). Setal arrangement after clitellum aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 7:1.25:5:1:23.

Vesicles four pairs in 9-12, but those in 9 and 10 are much smaller. Spermathecae 9/10-10/11 roundish clearly stalked and filled with sperms, open laterally in cd. Calciferous glands small in 11-12, typhlosole moderate T-shaped, nephridial bladders elongated sausage-shaped with slightly curved ectal part.

The morphological difference between E. japonica and E. vaga are quite scanty (biometry and the distribution of genital papillae) however the genetic distance between japonica and vaga ( Fig. 13 , 14 , Table 2) clearly indicates that they represent independent species.

Figures

Fig. 2. Eisenia vaga Blakemore, 2013b; ventrolateral view of the clitellar region.

Fig. 13. Maximum Likelihood tree of the Asian Eisenia species using COI1 sequenes. Numbers above branches indicate ML bootstrap support.

Fig. 14. Bayesian inference tree of the Asian Eisenia species using COI1 sequenes. Numbers above branches indicate Bayesian posterior probabilities.