New genera and new species of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Octochaetidae) from Western Ghats, South India
Author
Julka, J. M.
Author
Blanchart, Eric
Author
Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie
text
Zootaxa
2004
486
1
27
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.157661
65483b24-e197-4508-9c49-50fb2a6ec291
11755326
157661
48073126-2C08-4E8A-8150-00C9DB50EBD6
Shimodrilus bhatkalensis
sp. nov.
Type
material:
INDIA
: Karnataka:
holotype
(
HAZFS
/ZSI An797), clitellate, 11
paratypes
(
HAZFS
/ZSI An798), clitellate, Bhatkal road, [
14°03'N
74°43'E
],
628m
, undisturbed evergreen forest,
August 2001
(L. Lardy).
Additional Material:
INDIA
: Karnataka:
coll. E. Blanchart: 1 aclitellate, 3 clitellate,
12 km
from Kogar down to Bhatkal [
14°04'N
74°41'E
],
150m
, forest,
October 1991
; coll. L. Lardy: 5 clitellate, Herbettu, [
13°57'N
74°47'E
],
690m
, moderately disturbed evergreen forest,
August 2001
.
Diagnosis.
Spermathecal pores paired, presetal, just anterior to setal arcs or about equidistant from setal arcs and intersegmental furrows on segments 8 and 9, at about mid
ab
on 8, slightly median to
b
lines on 9; setae
a
,
b
on 8 copulatory; vas deferens discharge on to body surface through a pear shaped muscular body; each spermatheca with a bifid diverticulum.
So far known species of
Shimodrilus
,
S. bhatkalensis
sp. nov.
and
S. karniensis
sp. nov.
(described elsewhere in this paper) can be easily distinguished from each other by the location of spermathecal pores on segments 8 and 9 (
Figs. 13, 17
); presence of copulatory setae in
bhatkalensis
as opposed to absent in
karniensis
; vas deferens discharging on to body surface through a muscular body in
bhatkalensis
rather than directly on to body surface as in
karniensis
; spermathecae unidiverticulate in
bhatkalensis
versus bidiverticulate in
karniensis
.
FIGURES 13–23.
Shimodrilus bhatkalensis
sp. nov.
(13–16): 13, genital region; 14, penial seta; 15, spermatheca; 16, copulatory seta.
Shimodrilus karniensis
sp. nov.
(17–19): 17, genital region; 18, penial seta; 19, spermatheca.
Herbettodrilus bahli
sp. nov.
(20–23): 20, genital region; 21, penial seta; 22, spermatheca; 23, copulatory seta. Scale bar 4.0 mm (17, 20), 2.5 mm (13), 1.5 mm (19, 22), 0.5 mm (15), 0.1 mm (21, 23), 0.05 mm (14, 16, 18).
Description.
Length
48–55 mm
, diameter
2–2.5 mm
, 127–130 segments. Prostomium proepilobic, retracted. First dorsal pore 8/9. Clitellum 14–16. Setae
aa
= 3.5
ab
= 0.8
bc
= 1.2
cd
= 0.17
dd
on 12,
aa
= 3.3
ab
= 1.1
bc
= 2
cd
= 0.22
dd
on 24;
a
,
b
on 8 copulatory. Male pores minute, at
b
lines; prostatic pores slightly lateral to
a
lines; seminal grooves concave. Spermathecal pores tiny, presetal, just anterior to setal arcs or about equidistant from setal arcs and intersegmental furrows on segments 8 and 9, at about mid
ab
on 8, slightly median to
b
lines on 9 (
Fig. 13
).
Septa
5/6 slightly muscular,
6/7–11/12
muscular. Intestine begins in 19, typhlosole 25– 91 (67 segments). Last pair of hearts in 13. Testes and male funnels free in 10 and 11; vas deferens discharge on to body surface through a pearshaped muscular body in 18; seminal vesicles in 11 and 12. Penial setae (
Fig. 14
) ornamented with broken rings of short spines, tip pointed and slightly excavated on one side, shaft bent,
0.72–0.77 mm
long, 15–18 diameter. Spermathecae paired (
Fig. 15
), in 8 and 9, each with a shortly stalked, bifid (sometimes completely divided) diverticulum, at about middle and anterior face of duct, which is about as long as ampulla. Copulatory setae (
Fig. 16
) ornamented with marginal scalelike spines, a longitudinal row of excavations and a few short transverse rows of 3–4 small spines, tip clawshaped,
0.39–0.41 mm
long, 14–17 diameter.
Reproduction.
Presumably biparental; parthenogenesis suspected in some individuals with small seminal vesicles and shriveled spermathecal ampullae.
Ingesta.
Mostly light brown fine mineral soil with scattered particles of quartz and black organic matter.
Ecological data.
This species is restricted to forests with the soil characteristics: OM content
8.2 g
100g1 soil, C/N 12.6, clay content 43%, bulk density 0.94 Mg m3, pH (water) 4.9, cations 12.2 cmol kg1 soil, CEC 21.4 cmol kg1 soil.
Ecological category.
S. bhatkalensis
appears to be endogeic based on the information provided by intestinal ingesta and form of typhlosole, and absence of body pigmentation.
Etymology.
The species is named after the locality ‘Bhatkal’.
Remarks.
Referred as ‘Genus B sp1’ in
Blanchart and Julka (1997)
.