Cernosvitovia strumicae, Popović & Stojanović & Domínguez & Sekulić & Trakić & Marchán, 2022

Popović, Filip J., Stojanović, Mirjana M., Domínguez, Jorge, Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tan- Ja B. & Marchán, Daniel F., 2022, Molecular analysis of five controversial Balkanic species of Allolobophora (sensu lato) Eisen, 1873 (Lumbricidae, Clitellata) with emendation of the genus Cernosvitovia Omodeo, 1956, Zootaxa 5116 (3), pp. 351-372 : 362-363

Cernosvitovia strumicae comb. nov. ( Šapkarev, 1973)

( Fig. 6 )

Allolobophora dofleini strumicae Šapkarev, 1973: 44 .

Eophila dofleini strumicae Šapkarev, 1978: 95 .

Serbiona strumicae Mršić, 1991: 183 .

Allolobophora (s. l.) strumicae Csuzdi, 2012: 97–99 .

Material examined. CEKUS/1040 , CEKUS/1041 , CEKUS/1042 , CEKUS/1043 , CEKUS/1044 , CEKUS/1045 , CEKUS/1046 7 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Mure) 43.233611º N, 20.7º E, oak forest, M. Stojanović, T. Trakić, J. Sekulić and F. Popović, 06.04.2018 ; CEKUS/1047 , CEKUS/1048 , CEKUS/1049 , CEKUS/1050 4 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Novo Selo), 43.2386111º N, 20.7058º E, meadow, M. Stojanović, T. Trakić, J. Sekulić and F. Popović, 06.04.201 8 .

Morphological description. External morphology. Body pigmentation lightly gray or pale brown in live specimens. White-beige homogeneous color in fixed specimens. Length 84–152 mm (Šapkarev 92–156 mm; Mršić 92–156 mm), diameter 4–6.5 mm. Number of segments 151–218 (Šapkarev 158–222; Mršić 158–222). Prostomium epilobous. Longitudinal furrows are missing. First dorsal pore at the intersegmental groove 10/11–11/12. The male aperture in segment 15 on small elevated glandular papillae extending only over 15, between setal b and c. Female pores inconspicuous in segment 14. Setae closely paired and very small, with interchaetal ratio aa>bc, ab=cd, aa=cca, 9ab=9cd, bc=ab, dd>1/2u. Setae ab of segments 8–12, 12–15 or 41–42 situated on glandular papillae. Glandular papillae surround setae ab on segments 11–13 or 15–17 or 41, 42 (Šapkarev 15–17, 41,42 or 11–13, 17, 18, 22, 27 or 9, 10 (8, 9, 12), 21, 23 or 18, 24; Mršić 15–17, 41,42 or 11–13, 17, 18, 22, 27 or 9, 10 (8, 9, 10), 21, 23 or only 18, 24). Clitellum saddle-shaped, prominent lightly brown, usually without district intersegmental grooves in segments 29, 30–40, 41 (Šapkarev 30–40; Mršić 29, 30–40, 1/2 41, 41). Tubercula pubertatis in segments 32, 33, 34, 35–40 (Šapkarev 35–39; Mršić 32, 33, 34, 35–39, 40).

Internal anatomy. Septa 5/6–8/9 strongly thickened, muscular, 9/10–10/11 slightly thickened. Hearts in segments 6–11. Calciferous glands in segment 10. Crop in segments 15–16, gizzard in segment 17–19. The typhlosole is trifid. The testes are in 10 and 11, and the ovaries in 13. Four pairs of seminal vesicles in 9 to 12. Two pairs of spermatheca in 10 and 11. Nephridial bladders U-shaped (very thin), the curved (glandular) part is oriented towards the anterior part of the body.

Distribution and ecology. Cernosvitovia strumicae is known from the Balkan Peninsula, Serbia and North Macedonia. This species has been found in meadows, pastures and oak forests. It belongs to the endogeic species.

Remarks. Cernosvitovia strumicae was described in detail by Šapkarev (1973) and later by Mršić (1991). Specimens studied in this work are compatible with both descriptions, only differing from Šapkarev (1973) in the extension of the tubercula pubertatis (ending one segment further posteriorly). Initially, C. strumicae was described by Šapkarev (1973) as a subspecies of Allolobophora dofleini . Mršić (1991) studied material from Macedonia and elevated the taxon to species status (as Serbiona strumicae ) without providing taxonomic justification. In fact, the aforementioned species can be distinguished by their size, extension of clitellum and tubercula pubertatis and their ecological category ( Table 3 ). Information on the literature about C. strumicae could be biased by misidentifications. For example, in Domínguez et al. (2015) specimens genetically compatible with C. strumicae were misidentified as Eo. gestroi (there as Alpodinaridella gestroi , following Mršić 1991) due to their similarity: the position of the clitellum and tubercula pubertatis in both species is almost identical. However, they can be easily distinguished by the number of seminal vesicles (four pairs in C. strumicae vs. two pairs in Eo. gestroi ) and corroborated by their different geographic distribution ( Table 3 ). The recent phylogenetic study by De Sosa et al. (2019) confirmed the position of Eo. gestroi within the same clade as Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1894) and Eophila crodabepis ( Paoletti, 2016) , clearly separated from Balkanic species which had been assigned to Eophila by Omodeo (1956) — robusta , mehadiensis , dacica .

Figures

FIGURE 6. External morphology of Cernosvitovia strumicae (Šapkarev, 1973). a. Live specimen. b. Fixed specimen. c. Schematic drawing according to Mršić (1991; p. 183; fig. 49B). Scale bar = 0.36 cm.