Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) palus, Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina, James, Samuel Wooster, Pasini, Amarildo & Brown, George Gardner, 2012

Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina, James, Samuel Wooster, Pasini, Amarildo & Brown, George Gardner, 2012, New earthworm species of Glossoscolex Leuckart, 1835 and Fimoscolex Michaelsen, 1900 (Clitellata: Glossoscolecidae) from Northern Paraná, Brazil, Zootaxa 3458, pp. 59-85 : 69-71

Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) palus n. sp. Bartz & James

( Fig. 3 a,b, Table 1)

Holotype. COFM BRPR 00001 adult, sedge- Typha marsh within cattle pasture along BR 369 near Bandeirantes, Paraná, Brazil; 23º08.48’S, 50º22.88’W, 395 masl, 17 April 2004, G.G. Brown and S.W. James colls.

Paratype. COFM BRPR 0029 one adult, same collecting data as holotype.

Other material. MZUSP 1405 two adults, same collecting data as holotype; COFM BRPR 0124 two preclitellates, one juvenile, sedge- Typha marsh within cattle pasture along BR 369 near Bandeirantes, Paraná, Brazil; 23º08.48’S, 50º22.88’W, 395 masl. 12 February 2006, G.G. Brown and S.W. James colls.

Etymology. The species is named for its preference of habitat, the soft alluvial mud of swamps and marshes. The terminology “ palus ” comes from latin and means marsh or swamp.

Description. Dimensions: Holotype 185 mm by 5.4 mm at x, 6.7 mm at clitellum, 5.6 mm at xxx, 277 segments; paratype 185 mm by 5.7 mm at x, 7.0 mm at clitellum, 5.5 mm, 331 segments. Body cylindrical. Setae closely paired throughout; genital setae absent; setal formula AA:AB:BC:CD = 17:1.2:8:1 at xxx, DD> 1/2 circumference throughout. Setae ab commence on iii–vi, cd on v–viii, usually not on same segment. Prostomium prolobous, pre- and post-setal secondary annulations present xii–xv. Unpigmented, clitellum slightly yellowish.

Ovipores post-setal, just above b in xiv; male pores 3–3.8 mm apart on xvii within paired elevated oval porophores, consisting of wrinkled oval ring surrounding central depression; broad midventral thickened triannulate epidermis in BB of xi–xvi, xviii–xxxvii, xxxix. Clitellum saddle to about AB distance above b, xv–xxvi ( Fig. 3 b). Nephropores just above b.

Septa 5/6 thin, 6/7–10/11 equally thick and muscular, 11/12 and remaining septa membranous, septa 12/13/14 lacking white sac-like glandular development and fine villous white material lining segment xiii; 12/13/14 occasionally with embedded sacs containing iridescent white material. Alimentary canal with cylindrical gizzard in vi; esophagus with high chevron-patterned lamellae vii–xi, valvular in xiv, intestinal origin 15/16; typhlosole origin xvi, end ccxxxiii–ccxlix, strongly zig-zag folded xvi–xx, zig-zag with ventral edge bent over to form pockets from xxi to region of xxxiii, gradually becoming simple lamina. Calciferous glands paired xii, composite-tubular type, bean-shaped with long axis parallel to esophagus, sessile on dorsal esophageal wall; blood vessels to gland include large branch of dorsal vessel to approximate center of each gland, two coalescing vessels from ventral gland margin to extra-esophageal vessel. Gland opening to esophagus near dorsum, large with lip along ventral margin. Holonephric, vesiculate; ducts to body wall near level of B.

Vascular system with ventral trunk, single dorsal trunk, lateral vessels in vii–ix, latero-esophageal hearts in x–xi. Extra-esophageal vessel visible near pharyngeal glands, passes along ventral-lateral face of gizzard and esophagus, ending in calciferous glands; supraesophageal vessel in x–xi.

Ovaries, ovarian funnels free in xiii; spermathecae absent. Male sexual system metandric, testes and funnels in single midventral subesophageal sac in xi; medial to hearts of xi pass narrow tubes to seminal vesicles; seminal vesicles expand from narrow tubes, penetrate septa and range posteriorly along intestine to lx–lxxiv; seminal vesicles simple smooth elongate sacs with parallel blood vessels on median side of longitudinal axis of vesicle; vasa deferentia long, looped from xi, form dense zig-zag on body wall en route to ventro-lateral face of large oval muscular copulatory bulbs; bulbs extend over xv–xviii but occupy septally-defined space of xvii, xviii. Copulatory bulbs with thin muscular outer layer, dense, delicate corrugated glandular inner surface with small lumen leading to male pore at approximate center of bulb connection to body wall; small transverse muscle bands crossing over bulbs at 17/18, thin muscle bands attached from lateral body wall to ends of bulbs in xvi, xviii.

Remarks. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) palus belongs to the G. (G.) truncatus - group as defined in Cordero (1943) and Righi (1978). The group includes species with male pores in xvii in the subgenus Glossoscolex . Other previously defined species groups in the subgenus have male pores on or behind 18/19 ( Righi & Lobo 1979). The differences between G. (G.) palus and G. (G.) truncatus Rosa 1895 are as follows, with the characteristics of the latter in parentheses: length 130–190 mm (80–160 mm), number of segments 269–362 (200–300), clitellum saddle xv–xxvi (annular xvi–xxv), ovipores post-setal, just above b (near nephropores), septum 11/12 membranous (septum 11/12 thick), hearts of xi free (hearts of xi enclosed in testes sacs), testes sacs single midventral subesophageal (testes sacs circumesophageal), septa 12/13/14 occasionally with embedded sacs containing iridescent white material (no such development in septa 12/13/14).

Glossoscolex (G.) palus corresponds to Glossoscolex n. sp. 8, as cited in Brown and James (2007a), Brown et al. (2004, 2008), James and Brown (2006, 2008), Fragoso and Brown (2007) and Sautter et al. (2006, 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 3. New species of Glossoscolex, continued. A, B. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) palus n. sp.. C, D. G. (Glossoscolex) primaensis n. sp. E, F. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) mariarum n. sp. FM = female pores; MP = male pores; A, C, E lateral view, B, D, F ventral view.