Eleven new South African earthworms (Oligochaeta: Microchaetidae) with new information on some known species, and an inventory of the microchaetids of KwaZulu-Natal
Author
Plisko, Jadwiga Danuta
text
African Invertebrates
2003
2003-12-31
44
2
279
325
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.7666260
2305-2562
7666260
Proandricus thornvillensis
Plisko, 1992
Proandricus thornvillensis
Plisko, 1992: 364
; Plisko 2000
b
: 257; Reynolds & Cook 1993: 21.
Material
examined:
KwaZuluNatal
:
NMSA
/
Olig.
03443
Midmar Nature Reserve
(
29º31'56"S
:
30º11'15"E
) grassland, medium tall grass, 2 cl, and
NMSA
/
Olig.
03444, 13 juv,
25April 2001
,
AJA
and BK;
NMSA
/
Olig.
03201
Camperdown
(
29º43'S
:
30º32'E
)
Umlaas Road
, garden soil,
19 January 2000
, 1 cl abscised postclitellarly,
H. Deane
;
NMSA
/
Olig.
00864
Thornville
(
29º44'S
:
30º24'E
) on bank of local stream,
27 November 1989
, 7 juv,
JDP
.
Remarks: The species has been recorded from several scattered sites in the area of Pietermaritzburg (Plisko 1992). It occurs in grasslands, riverbanks, riverine bush, always preferring undisturbed habitats. Only once was it recorded from the soil of recently transformed primary grassland into the ornamental garden.
The
marleyi
speciesgroup
To this group, characterised by spermathecal pores occurring in only two intersegmental furrows 11/12 and 12/13, and with variably thickened four septa 4/5 5/6 6/7 7/8, or with three septa 5/6 7/8 8/9 thickened, are assigned three species:
marleyi
Michaelsen, 1928
,
alatus
Plisko, 1996
, and
armstrongi
Plisko, 2002
.
P. marleyi
and
alatus
were collected in Melmoth area.
P
.
armstrongi
is known from the Mount Currie Nature Reserve, being an extension of the southeastern Drakensberg foothills. No new material for all three species is presently available. Species distribution in KZN is shown in
Fig. 7
.