Amynthas wujhouensis, Shen, Huei-Ping, Chang, Chih-Han, Li, Chi-Lun, Chih, Wen-Jay & Chen, Jiun-Hong, 2013

Shen, Huei-Ping, Chang, Chih-Han, Li, Chi-Lun, Chih, Wen-Jay & Chen, Jiun-Hong, 2013, Four new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Kinmen, Taiwan, Zootaxa 3599 (5), pp. 471-482 : 477-479

Amynthas wujhouensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Holotype: Clitellate (mature) specimen (241 mm in total length, dissected) collected 17 June 2008 at Shueiwei Pagoda (elevation 5 m) beside Lake Shuangli, Guningtou, Kinmen by C. L. Li and C. H. Chang (cat. no. 14- 07395).

Paratypes: Four clitellates (one dissected, all broken) collected 11 July 2008 along the road near Chingchi (elevation 23 m), Lieyu by C. L. Li (cat. no. 14-08139).

Other material. 12 specimens altogether. One clitellate (broken) collected 27 April 2008 under a banyan tree near Maoshan Pagoda (elevation 30 m), Shueitou Village, Jincheng, Kinmen by C. L. Li and Y. H. Lin (cat. no. 14- 07392); one specimen (broken) collected 29 April 2008 at Shueiwei Pagoda beside Lake Shuangli, Guningtou, Kinmen by C. L. Li and Y. H. Lin (cat. no. 14-07393); one specimen (broken) collected 20 June 2008 beside Lake Juguang (elevation 13 m), Jincheng, Kinmen by C. L. Li and C. H. Chang (cat. no. 14-07394); one aclitellate collected 17 June 2008 at Shueiwei Pagoda beside Lake Shuangli, Guningtou, Kinmen by C. L. Li and C. H. Chang (cat. no. 14-07396); seven aclitellates (only two of them intact) collected 17 June 2008 at Gaokeng (elevation 34 m), Kinmen by C. L. Li and C. H. Chang (cat. no. 14-08137); one aclitellate (broken) collected 11 July 2008 along the road between Chienpu and Houjing (elevation 34 m), Lieyu by C. L. Li (cat. no. 14-08138).

Diagnosis. Large, easily broken; length 241–345 mm. Segments numbering 128–212. Clitellum with setae ventrally. Setae 68–78 in VII, 59–71 in XX, and 8–10 between male pores. First dorsal pore in 11/12. Spermathecal pores four pairs, buried deeply in intersegmental furrows of 5/6–8/9, 0.24–0.3 body circumference ventrally apart. Male pores 0.26–0.31 body circumference ventrally apart in XVIII, each on a crescent or semicircular shaped area with a large papilla medial to it. Spermathecae four pairs in VI–IX. Seminal vesicles small, two pairs in XI and XII, each vesicle with a round or elongated oval dorsal lobe. Prostate glands large, lobed in XVI–XXI. Prostatic duct slender. Accessory glands large, sessile, corresponding to external genital papillae.

Description. External: Easily broken, length for four intact specimens 241–345 mm and their segment numbers 128–212. Weight more than 10 g. Clitellum XIV–XVI, with setae on the ventral side, number 3–6 in XIV, 0–8 in XV and 7–11 in XVI, dorsal pores absent, length 6.11–9.59 mm and width 5.15–6.45 mm. Prostomium epilobous. Setae 68–78 in VII, 59–71 in XX, and 8–10 between male pores in XVIII. First dorsal pore in 11/12.

Spermathecal pores four pairs, buried deeply in intersegmental furrows of 5/6–8/9; distance between paired pores 0.24–0.3 body circumference ventrally apart. Genital papillae absent in the preclitellar region. Female pore single, mid-ventral in XIV. Male pores paired in XVIII, 0.26–0.31 body circumference ventrally apart, each on a crescent or semicircular shaped area with a large papilla immediately medial to it. The whole male area including the genital papilla protuberant, 2.01–2.19 mm in width. Each papilla round, center depressed, 1.09–1.37 mm in diameter ( Fig. 3 A). Preserved specimens pale in color and pink when alive.

Internal: Septa 5/6–7/8 thick and muscular, 10/11–13/14 muscular, 8/9/10 absent. Nephridial tufts thickened on anterior faces of 5/6/7. Gizzard large in VIII–X. Intestine enlarged from XV. Intestinal caeca paired in XXVII, extending anteriorly to XXIV–XXV, each simple, distal end either straight or bent. Esophageal hearts in X–XIII. Spermathecae four pairs in VI–IX ( Fig. 3 B), each with a pear-shaped or elongated oval-shaped ampulla 2.03–4.17 mm long and 1.52–2.42 mm wide, and a slender or stout spermathecal stalk 0.4–1.45 mm in length. Diverticulum long, slender, tubular, 2.26–4.8 mm in length. Accessory glands absent in the preclitellar region. Holandric, testes oval, two pairs in ventrally joined sacs in X and XI. Seminal vesicles small, surface finely folliculated, two pairs in XI and XII, each vesicle with a round or elongated oval dorsal lobe. Prostate glands large, occupying more than five segments in XVI–XXI ( Fig. 3 C), divided into several lobules by grooves. Prostatic duct slender, U-shaped. Accessory glands large, sessile, amorphous, 0.5–1.05 mm wide, corresponding to external genital papillae ( Fig. 3 C).

DNA barcodes. GenBank accession numbers JQ936605 (14-07395, holotype), JQ936604 , JQ936606 , JQ936603 , and JQ936607 (14-07392, 14-07393, 14-07394, and 14-07396, respectively).

Etymology. “Wujhou” is an ancient name for Kinmen and is used for naming this species.

Remarks. Amynthas wujhouensis sp. nov. is the longest earthworm found in Kinmen. It is easily broken during collecting process, and thus, most specimens are amputated. The shape of the male porophore and the arrangement of papillae in the male pore area are fairly similar to Amynthas lunatus ( Chen, 1938) from Hainan Island. Both species are octothecal with spermathecal pores in 5/6–8/9, and both have similar numbers of setae and no genital papillae in the preclitellar region. However, the large, median papilla in XVIII of A. lunatus is not immediately adjacent to each male pore. Furthermore, the two papillae between male pores are in close approximation (less than 2 mm at interval) with only 4 setae between them in A. lunatus ( Chen 1938) . In A. wujhouensis , the median papillae are immediately adjacent to the male pores and widely separated by 8–10 setae. In addition, A. lunatus has a small gizzard while that of A. wujhouensis is large.

Amynthas manicatus manicatus ( Gates, 1931) from Burma also has a pair of genital markings internal to the male pores, and this species is octothecal, too. However, the genital markings of A. m. manicatus are elongately oval, extending antero-posteriorly to 17/18 and 18/19, or slightly onto XVII and XIX ( Gates 1931). In addition, there is a space of 3–4 setae between the marking and the male pore ( Gates 1931). Also, A. m. manicatus is smaller (56–111 mm long) than A. wujhouensis , has large seminal vesicles and diverticulum coiled into a spherical mass of loops ( Gates 1931).

The soil pH values (H2O) of the localities where the specimens of A. wujhouensis were collected were 5.85–7.51 (unpublished data).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Amynthas wujhouensis sp. nov. Paratype (dissected, cat. no. 14 - 08139): (A) ventral view of male pore region (mp, male porophore; gp, genital papilla); (B) dorsal view of right spermathecae (amp, ampulla; dv, diverticulum); (C) dorsal view of left prostate gland (ag, accessory gland; pd, prostatic duct). Scale bar 1 mm.