New Eremidrilus species (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae) from western North America Part 1, species with two spermathecal segments
Author
Fend, Steven
85060 Spencer Hollow Rd., Eugene, OR, 97405, USA.
Author
Rodriguez, Pilar
Zoology and Animal Cell Biology Dpt., Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV / EHU, Apdo. 644, Bilbao 48080, Spain. pilar. rodriguez @ ehu. es; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8387 - 1669
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-07-06
4809
1
111
131
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4809.1.6
1175-5326
3933989
6E4829CF-1476-4FDB-941D-9EAFCA29D011
Eremidrilus allegheniensis
(
Cook, 1971
)
(
Figures 9
,
10
,
11A
)
Trichodrilus allegheniensis
Cook, 1971: 381–383
;
Fig. 1
.
Rodriguez & Giani 1994: 40
;
Fig. 10
.
Eremidrilus allegheniensis
(Cook)
.
Fend & Rodriguez 2003: 518
.
Material examined.
NMC 3471, 3472, 2 dissected
paratypes
from the type locality,
Tennessee
,
Franklin Co.
,
Round Mountain Cave
, (
7 miles
Northeast of Still Fork
,
Alabama
); in rimstone pool,
30 July 1967
.
Remarks.
Eremidrilus allegheniensis
was described in detail by
Cook (1971)
, based on four museum specimens. A
paratype
(USNM 43491) was reexamined by
Rodriguez & Giani (1994)
and the
holotype
(USNM 43490) by
Fend & Rodriguez (2003)
. The two additional specimens examined here confirm several characters that effectively distinguish the eastern North American
E. allegheniensis
from the new western species having two spermathecal segments. The
allegheniensis
atrium is more elongate and tubular (
Table 2
), commonly extending into adjacent segments (
Fig. 9A,B
; see also
Fig. 1A
in
Cook 1971
); it is densely covered by a thick layer of prostate glands in densely-packed, distinct clusters (
Fig. 10A
), and the ectal end (at the base of the porophore) is somewhat muscular, then narrowing within the porophore. The vasa deferentia are free for most of their length, only penetrating the atrial wall near the apical end.
Some additional characters visible in the present material also appear noteworthy. The atrial epithelium of
E. allegheniensis
is thick (over
20 µm
) and glandular (
Fig. 10A,B
), particularly compared with that
of
E. artzaini
,
E. humboldti
, and
E. gilita
n. spp.
The spermathecae have sacciform ampullae, short ducts and unordered sperm, as in other species with two spermathecal segments (
Figs. 9A
,
10F
); however,
E. allegheniensis
spermathecal pores terminate on distinctive papillae (
Fig. 10D,E
). Among the other described
Eremidrilus
species, only
E. felini
Fend & Rodriguez, 2003
has strongly modified spermathecal pores, but those open within laterally placed sacs (see Figs. 13 f,g in
Fend & Rodriguez 2003
). A pair of large (copulatory?) glands, adjacent to the ventral chaetae in XIII (
Figs. 9B
,
10E
) was seen in both
E. allegheniensis
paratypes
examined here, and a smaller pair of similar glands was present anterior to the chaetae in XII. These glands are multicellular, with conjoined ducts terminating on a small secretory surface, and resemble copulatory glands in some other lumbriculid genera (e.g.
Fend
et al.
2015
). They have not been observed in other
Eremidrilus
species, but also were not mentioned in prior
E. allegheniensis
descriptions.