Jeju-do earthworms (Oligochaeta: Megadrilacea) - Quelpart Island revisited
Author
Blakemore, Robert J.
text
Journal of Species Research
2013
2013-02-28
2
1
15
54
http://dx.doi.org/10.12651/jsr.2013.2.1.015
journal article
10.12651/JSR.2013.2.1.015
2713-8615
Amynthas arx
sp. nov.
[Fig. 5]
Material examined.
IV0000246444
holotype
(H) submature specimen, sketched and dissected providing DNA sample (WM11 resampled as w4), collected from side of
Haenyeos’
beach at base of
Seongsan Ilchulbong
or “Sunrise Peak”,
Jeju
15
th
Feb., 2012 by
RJB
.
Etymology.
Latin noun ‘arx’ for ‘citadel or fortress’ after the location’s colloquial name of ‘The Floating Fortress’.
Description.
Length
92 mm
, segments 102. Colour in life a deep red-brown, more a chocolate-like colour in alcohol with a paler ventrum and darker mid-dorsal line. Prostomium epilobous. First dorsal pore in 12/13. Setae ca. 60- 70 per segment. Clitellum slightly darker in 14-16. Spermathecal pores lateral in 6/7/8/9lhs and 5/6/7/8/9rhs. Female pore obscure. Male pores widely paired superficial on raised white pads but within curved, longitudinal slits on
18 in
shape of deeply incised “(“and”)” braces, with 35 much crowded small penial setae intervening, most concentrated nearer to the slits. Genital markings
Table 2.
Contingencies of Jeju
Drawida
spp
compared to
D. koreana
Kobayashi, 1938
*
Taxon |
Male pores |
Gizzards |
GMs |
Atrium (gland) |
D. a.
anchingiana
|
Nearer c |
Three (in 11,12-16?) |
(8, 10, 11?) |
7 (Y) |
D. a
halla
|
Nearer c |
Three (12-14) |
8 and 10 wide |
7 (N) |
D. a. seogwipo
|
Nearer c |
Three (13-15) |
8-11 variable |
7 (N) |
D. iucn
|
Nearer c |
Four (1/212-15) |
8 and 11 mid |
7 (N) |
D. j.
japonica
|
Near b |
Two/three (12-13,14) |
7-13 or absent |
8 (N) |
D. koreana
*
|
Near b |
Two/three (12-13,14) |
7-13 variable- |
8 (N) |
*
D. koreana
is a deep blue colour, which helps to distinguish it from pink/grey
D. japonica
.
0.02
Fig. 4.
Phylogram of DNA barcodes for Jeju
Drawida
spp.
compared to megascolecids.
5 10 15 20 27
1 mm
Fig. 5
with [boxed] enlargement of spermatheca in 9 and of male pore 18lhs].
February 2013
BLAKEMORE-JEJU-DO EARTHWORMS 23
not found although glands present internally in 9rhs and 9lhs.
Internally, the pharyngeal mass fills segment 4. Septa 5/6/7/8 weak, 8/9/10 absent around muscular gizzard, 10 /11-13/14 slightly thicker. Dorsal blood vessel single, hearts in 10-13. Spermathecae in 6-9lhs & 7-9rhs, small with thick muscular duct and roundish ampulla with curv- ed diverticulum (non iridescent). Glands occur near spermathecae in 9. Holandric but testis small and non iridescent; seminal vesicles anteriorly in 11 & 12. Prostates racemose, heavily parasitized in 18. Ovaries flat in 13 with no ovisacs seen in 14. Oesophagus dilated in 11-13, intestinal origin in 15. Intestinal caeca from 27, hemi-pinnate ventrally. Low but wide typhlosole from ca. 25. Gut contains soil and grits. Gregarine parasites around prostates as noted but no other parasites found.
Remarks.
Specimen distinct with its red colouration, but possibly not fully mature. Its C-shaped seminal grooves, crowded setae and incised caeca appear unique. The male pores are construed as superficial rather than eversible as in
Metaphire
spp.
and, assuming spermathecae in 5/6/7/8/9, the species would comply with an
Amynthas corticis
species-group of
Sims & Easton (1972)
. Possibly a ‘species-in-transition’, losing its anterior spermathecae and approaching
Metaphire
with quasi-non-superficial male pores. By extension, in
Metaphire
it would comply with an
M. ignobilis
species-group and the taxon it would resembles most on
Jeju
probably being
Metaphire quelparta
(
Kobayashi, 1937
)
from which it differs principally in the visibility of primary male pores, the incipient retention of spermatheca in 6lhs, colouration plus other lesser characters. The penial setae, uniquely characteristic, possibly provide traction during copulation and compensate for lack of genital markings. DNA data (w
4 in
Appendix) confirm its identity and shows closest match with
A. aucklandis
(w21). However, such DNA data cannot be used to determine whether it is correctly placed in
Amynthas
, the default genus for pheretimoids (see
Blakemore, 2012e
).