New earthworm species of the genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 from Thailand (Clitellata, Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)
Author
Bantaowong, Ueangfa
Author
Chanabun, Ratmanee
Author
Tongkerd, Piyoros
Author
Sutcharit, Chirasak
Author
James, Samuel W.
Author
Panha, Somsak
text
ZooKeys
2011
90
35
62
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.90.1121
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.90.1121
1313-2970-90-35
Amynthas tontong Panha & Bantaowong
sp. n.
Figs 13
Description of Holotype:
Dimensions; 53 mm by 2.7 mm at segment X, 2.6 at segment XX, 2.2 mm at clitellum; body cylindrical with 80 segments. Setae regularly distributed around segmental equators, numbering 42 at VII, 52 at XX, no visible setae between mp, setae formula AA:AB:ZZ:ZY= 1.5:1:1:1 at XIII. Single fp at XIV. Prostomium epilobic. First dorsal pore at 5/6. Clitellum annular
XIV-XVI
with no setae.
A pair of indistinct rounded mp in XVIII, 0.19 mm circumference apart ventrally; distance between mp 1.0 mm at 5th seta line. Genital markings closely paired located medial to male pore level in intersegment 18/19. Sp paired in 7/8 at 4th seta line, each small, lip-like structure within porophore, 0.10 circumference apart ventrally; distance between sp 1.0 mm. Genital markings near sp absent.
Septa 5/6 and 6/7 thick, 7/8 thin, 8/9 and 9/10 absent 10/11-13/14 thin. Gizzard large within
VIII-X
, intestinal origin in XV, no lymph glands observed. Typhlosole small from XXVII. Ic originated from XXVII extending forward to XXV, simple finger-shape. Hearts esophageal in
X-XIII
. Holandric; testes and funnels in ventrally joined sacs in
X-XI
. Sv paired in
XI-XII
. Prostates in XVIII; prostatic ducts long slender with U-shape. Genital marking glands absent.
Ovaries in XIII. Sc one pair in VIII; ampulla thumb shape, duct stout, shorter than ampulla. Diverticulum slender stalk with spherical knob terminal, no genital marking glands observed.
All the key morphological characters of the holotype and paratype specimens are given in Table 3.
Figure 3. External and internal morphology of holotype (CUMZ 3206) of
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. A External ventral view, B internal dorsal view and C spermatheca, and black arrow indicates the connection of the spermatheca and spermathecal pore.
Table 3. Holotype and Paratype dimension and other morphological characteristics of
Amynthas tontong
Panha & Bantaowong sp. n.
CharactersTypes |
Body length (mm) |
Number of segments |
Genital markings |
First dorsal pore |
Number of setae |
Between male pore |
Prostate glands |
Intestinal caeca |
Variation:
The holotype measures 53 mm body length with 80 segments; the three paratypes range in size from 39-41 mm (40.33
+/-
1.15 mm) body length with 71-74 segments (Table 3).
Type locality:
Tontong Waterfall, Nan province, Thailand,
19°12'35.9"N
,
101°04'13.7"E
, 1,128 meters elevation (10th October 2009).
Etymology:
This species was named after the type locality, Tontong Waterfall.
Type material:
The holotype (CUMZ 3206) and two paratypes (CUMZ 3207) are deposited in Chulalongkorn University, Museum of Zoology. Another paratype will be deposited in the Biozentrum Grindel und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Germany (UHH).
Habitat:
Found in the top soil at about 10 cm depth, the soil surface covered with leaf litter of deciduous forest which originated at the Tontong Waterfall area. The soil was carefully dug close to surface casts. Most surrounding areas have been modified to agricultural fields.
Diagnosis
:
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. is a small sized terrestrial earthworm with a close indistinct pair of male pores with a pair of genital markings in intersegment 18/19. Spermathecae consists of a thumb shaped ampulla and a spherical terminal knob shaped diverticulum. Genital marking glands absent, first dorsal pore in 5/6, intestinal caeca simple, intestinal origin XV, septa 8/9/10 absent, testis sacs joined ventrally.
Remarks:
Amynthas tontong
sp. n., along with
Amynthas srinan
sp. n. and
Amynthas exiguus exiguus
, is one of the smallest sized
Amynthas
ever recorded in Thailand. The basic external characters are easily seen in both newly collected and preserved materials. Compared with the two other closely related species from Laos,
Amynthas chandyi
Hong, 2008 and
Amynthas namphouinensis
Hong, 2008, which belong in the same zebrus-group,
Amynthas chandyi
is similar to
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. However, it differs in the specific details of the significant characters, such as the distance between the mp in
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. is 1.0 mm for the holotype and ranged from 1.0-1.2 mm (0.93
+/-
0.12 mm), while in
Amynthas chandyi
it ranged from 1.5-2.4 mm. The distance between the male pores as a fraction of the estimated circumference of the 18th segment is 0.15-0.19 in
Amynthas tontong
sp. n., but 0.14-0.32 in
Amynthas chandyi
. The arrangement of the genital markings of both species are totally different, and the distance between a pair of sp is also different, being 0.8-1.0 mm (1.1
+/-
0.1 mm) in
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. and 1.2-1.5 mm for
Amynthas chandyi
. Moreover,
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. has no genital markings near to the sp,whilst
Amynthas chandyi
exhibits circular genital markings in various locations, paired or single mid ventral in VII, VIII; usually 3 or 4 in total.
Alcohol-preserved paratype specimens of
Amynthas tontong
sp. n. belonged to a single DNA barcode cluster, with an intra-cluster divergence of 0.005 (N=3), and diverging from
Amynthas phatubensis
sp. n. by 0.294, and by 0.189 for an undescribed species. An undescribed morph at Tham Pha Tub diverged by 0.100, and may represent a subspecies. A consensus sequence is in Appendix 1.