Pheretima diesmosi, James, 2004

James, Samuel W., 2004, New Species Of Amynthas, Pheretima And Pleionogaster (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) Of The Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mindanao Island, Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52 (2), pp. 289-313 : 299-300

Pheretima diesmosi , new species

( Figs. 2D, E )

Material examined. – Holotype - ( NMA 003979 ) Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Mt. Kitanglad Range , 16.5 km S, 4 km. E of Camp Philips, 1900 m. elevation, coll. L. Heaney, 22 Mar.1993.

Etymology. – The species is named for Arvin Diesmos, a Filipino herpetologist who has provided the author with assistance of many kinds.

Description. – Brown dorsal pigmentation, body 128 x 3.0 mm (vii), 3.4 mm (x), 3.4 mm (xxv), 102 segments; body cylindrical in cross-section. First dorsal pore 12/13, spermathecal pores paired in 7/8, 0.23 circumference apart, female pore single in xiv, openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, 0.15 circumference apart in 6 th setal line, 2 empty setal follicles between openings. 8-12 setae closely spaced on ventrum, more widely spaced elsewhere around postclitellar segments; some setae missing from vii, viii; 28 setae on vii, 38 setae on xx; in vii ZZ: YZ = 2.3, in xx ZZ: YZ = 3.0, no ventral gaps. Clitellum annular xiv-xvi; thickened epidermal areas around spermathecal pores ( Fig. 2D ).

Septa 4/5- 9/10 thin, 10/11-12/13 slightly muscular. Nephridia in dense tufts on anterior faces of 5/6, 6/7; those of intestinal segments pre- and post-septal at septum-body wall junction.

Large gizzard in viii, esophagus deeply-pouched, vascularized, with vertical lamellae x-xiv, intestinal origin xvii, simple caeca originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxv, ventral margins smooth; typhlosole xxvii-lxxi, low thick ridge 1/4 lumen diameter: 22 longitudinal vessels in intestinal wall.

Hearts x-xiii esophageal, commissural vessels vi, vii, ix lateral; viii to gizzard; supra-esophageal vessel x-xiii, extra esophageal vessel to ventral esophageal wall in x; efferent parieto-esophageal vessel from body wall of xiii-xvii to ventral esophagus in xiii.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii, spermathecae paired, preseptal in vii with nephridia on lateral faces of spermathecal ducts; each spermatheca with large rounded ampulla filling its side of vii, single stalked diverticulum terminating in sausageshaped receptacle, stalk short with one bend closely adherent to spermathecal duct ( Fig. 2E ). Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; seminal vesicles xi, xii with dorsal lobes; vasa deferentia free from body wall en route to ental end of prostatic ducts, thick and muscular xiii-xviii; each prostate racemose, occupying xviixx, bilobed, one lobe with three minor lobes, the other with two, stout muscular duct entering posterior side of copulatory bursa in xviii; coelomic and exterior surfaces of copulatory bursae lacking glandular or other projections; two pads lateral to opening; muscular knob from roof of copulatory bursa in place of penis.

Remarks. – This species also keys to the P. sangirensis group in Sims & Easton (1972), but differs from the previously known species in having all anterior septa present, spermathecae with kinked diverticulum stalk, no setae between the male pores, and different location of pads within the copulatory bursae. It is distinguished from other Philippine members of this group in having the intestinal origin in xvii, a muscular vas deferens and a low knob in place of a penis. Additional details of comparison are in Table 2. Its closest affinities are to P. rugosa , from which it differs in the details of the copulatory pouch and penis, the greater number of setae per segment, and the lack of genital markings found in P. rugosa .

Figures

Fig. 2. Spermathecae, and ventral views showing spermathecal pores, female pores, and male pores of Pheretima quincunxia (A, B), C: setal distribution pattern of P. quincunxia with mid dorsal line of dorsal pores at center, P. diesmosi (D, E), P. rugosa (F, G), and P. monoporata (H, I, with spermatophore). Symbols: fp, female pore(s); mp, male pores; sp, spermathecal pores.