Libyodrilus Beddard, 1891

Clausen, Martha Weis, 2004, Description of seven new species of Libyodrilus Beddard from Cameroon, with a key to the species of the genus (Oligochaeta: Eudrilidae), Journal of Natural History 38 (15), pp. 1851-1880 : 1852

Genus Libyodrilus Beddard, 1891 [a], emended

Diagnosis

Pareudrilinae with male pore(s) in 17 or in 17/18, paired or unpaired. Spermarial pore(s) in 13 m /v in eq or paired in ab between eq and 12/13. Female pores on 15 dorsal to d. Three intestinal gizzards. One median and two short lateral typhlosoles. Dorsal blood vessel bifurcating and reuniting in some of the oesophageal and anterior intestinal segments (usually present in at least segments 13–21). Holonephric. Nephridial ducts disappearing into parietes at level of ab just behind intersegmental furrow; parietal part of nephridial ducts probably never observed ( Clausen, 1965: 275–276). Epididymis and sperm reservoirs absent.

Spermarium (~ mesoblastic receptaculum seminis, see Clausen, 1965: 291–292) present. Spermarium consisting of median dorsal sac with two branches emerging from anterior corners of sac embracing oesophagus and nerve cord, in some species forming two rings with tube between them above nerve cord, in others forming only one common ring. Behind ring around oesophagus (perioesophageal ring) dorsally zero to three latero-ventral pairs of diverticula. Perioesophageal ring associated with ovaries (not present in adult specimens) and receptacula ovorum; connection between receptacula ovorum and perioesophageal ring corresponding to thecovarian duct defined by Owa (1994: 10).

Remarks

The diagnosis of the genus Libyodrilus by Clausen (1965: 291–293) has been emended to accommodate the new species of Libyodrilus described in the present paper. The numeration of the spermarial diverticula has also been changed. The anterior branches of the spermarial sac are not counted as diverticula. This is in accordance with Gates (1961: 582). The terms spermarium and spermarial pores are kept from Clausen (1965). Sims (1965) used the terms receptaculum seminis and spermathecal pores. These terms are not used in the present paper because it is illogical to deal with spermathecal pores when the openings do not lead to a spermatheca.