Kazimierzus, Jadwiga Danuta Plisko, 2006

Jadwiga Danuta Plisko, 2006, A systematic reassessment of the genus Microchaetus Rapp, 1849: its amended definition, reinstatement of Geogenia Kinberg, 1867, and erection of a new genus Kazimierzus (Oligochaeta: Microchaetidae), African Invertebrates 47 (1), pp. 31-56 : 46-49

Kazimierzus gen. n.

Microchaetus: Michaelsen 1908: 38 [for rosai ]; 1913 a: 535 and 1913 b: 60 [for peringueyi ]; Pickford 1975: 23 [for crousi , franciscus , guntheri , ljungstroemi , pearsonianus ]; Reynolds & Cook 1976: 56 [partim]; Plisko 1992: 338; 1993 b: 230 [partim]; 1998: 250 [for alipentus , circulatus , crousi , davidi , hamerae , imitatus , metandrus , obscurus , occidualis , occiduus , pauli , pentus , senarius ]; 2002: 211 [for sophieae ].

Proandricus: Plisko 1996 b: 305 [for sirgeli ].

Etymology: Named for Dr Kazimierz Plisko in recognition of his friendly support during many years of my study on earthworms. Gender masculine.

Type species Microchaetus hamerae Plisko, 1998 , by present designation.

Diagnosis: Testes and male funnels in holandric or metandric arrangement. One oesophageal gizzard in segment 7. Excretory system holonephric, with nephridial holoic bladders J-shaped. Dorsal blood vessel simple through whole body. Calciferous glands not staked, in one or two segments 9, 10, 11, or 10–11. Glands encircling oesophagus with vestigial, medial and dorsal grooves, or dorsoventral, paired, with obvious medial and dorsal grooves. Vasa deferentia paired; one pair in metandric, two pairs in holandic species. Seminal vesicles one or two pairs, confined to one or two segments, or extended behind segment 12, sometimes as far as to segment 28. Spermathecae and their pores located behind testis segments. Spermathecal ampullae globular with variably shaped ducts. Some of preclitellar septa 4/5–9/10 variably thickened. Body length 60–330 mm. Segment number 200–500.

Comments: Twenty-one species, occurring in the western and south-western coastal Atlantic area of South Africa, constitute this genus. It is characterised by the following features: constant presence of simple dorsal blood vessel along the whole body, and J- shaped nephridial holoic bladders; occasional metandric male gonad condition, metandric or proandric reduction of a pair of seminal vesicles, sporadically extended backwards, and septum 9/10 being occasionally thickened. The species circulatus , davidi , rosai and sophieae are known from the northern part of Namaqualand ( Fig. 3 ). The species alipentus , guntheri , hamerae , imitatus , ljungstroemi , metandrus , obscurus , occidualis , occiduus , pauli , pentus , peringueyi and senarius are recorded from Western Cape, extending inland to Citrusdal, Porterville, Ceres, Tulbagh, and to Swellendam ( crousi , franciscu s), as illustrated by Plisko (1998). K. pearsonianus is known from the Cape Peninsula.

It is noteworthy that a decrease of posterior male funnel size and their enclosure in seminal vesicles observed in sirgeli , resulted in misclassification of this species in the genus Proandricus . Four pairs of spermathecae located in furrows 12/13, 13/14, 14/15, 15/16, dorsal blood vessel simple along the whole body, distinctively shaped seminal vesicles, and the distribution range of the species within a south-western part of Western Cape, raised some doubts (Plisko 1996 b, 2000). The present review shows that this species belongs to Kazimierzus .

Key to the species of Kazimierzus gen. n.

1 Testes and male funnels in metandric arrangement (in segment 11). Vasa deferentia as single pair commence in 11, extending to 18 enter male pores in 18/19; seminal vesicles one pair, commencing at 11/12 extend posterior to 24; spermathecal pores in three intersegmental furrows (13/14, 14/15, 15/16); spermathecae one pair per segment; calciferous glands paired, separated dorsally and medially; six septa 7/8–9/10 variably thickened; clitellum on 13–22; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 ................................................................................... metandrus (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Testes and male pores in holandric arrangement (in segments 10 and 11) ........... 2

2 Two pairs of seminal vesicles present .................................................................. 3

– One pair of seminal vesicles reduced ................................................................. 16

3 Seminal vesicles not extending behind segment 12 ............................................. 4

– Seminal vesicles extending behind segment 12 ................................................... 7

4 Spermathecal pores in three furrows (13/14, 14/15, 15/16). Four septa thickened variably (4/5, 5/6, 6/7 very much, 7/8 less); spermathecae multiple; calciferous

glands paired, in 10–11; clitellum on 13–26; tubercula pubertatis on 17–21 ......... ............................................................................. franciscus (Pickford) , comb. n. – Spermathecal pores in four furrows...................................................................... 5

5 Spermathecal pores in 13/14–16/17; three septa 4/5, 5/6, 6/7 strongly thickened. Spermathecae 1–2 pairs per segment; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous, in 10; clitellum on 14–23; tubercula pubertatis on 16–21 ...................................... .................................................................................... crousi (Pickford) , comb. n.

– Spermathecal pores in 12/13–15/16; six septa (4/5–9/10) variably thickened ..... 6

6 Spermathecae one pair per segment; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous, in 10; clitellum on 13–23; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 .......................................... .................................................................................. circulatus (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Spermathecae multiple; calciferous glands paired, in 10; clitellum on 12–24, 25; tubercula pubertatis on 18–20, 21 ................................... davidi (Plisko) , comb. n.

7 Spermathecal pores in three furrows (13/14, 14/15, 15/16) ................................. 8

– Spermathecal pores in more than three furrows ................................................. 12

8 Posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending through two segment (13–14) ........ 9

– Posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending variably, through more than two segments ............................................................................................................. 10

9 Three septa (4/5, 5/6, 6/7) strongly thickened; spermathecae multiple; tubercula pubertatis on 18–28; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous in 10–11 ............ ................................................................................ guntheri (Pickford) , comb. n.

– Six septa (4/5–9/10) variably thickened; spermathecae multiple; tubercula pubertatis on 17–18; calciferous glands dorsolateral. Clitellum on 13–22 ............................. ................................................................................. occidualis (Plisko) , comb. n.

10 Three septa (4/5, 5/6, 6/7) thickened moderately. Posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending to 23, 24; spermathecae multiple; clitellum on 12, 13–22, 23; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 ................................................... occiduus (Plisko) , comb. n.

– More than three septa thickened ......................................................................... 11

11 Five septa (4/5, 5/6, 7/8, 7/9, 9/10) variably thickened; seminal vesicles extending backwards reaching segment 20; spermathecae 1–2 pairs per segment; tubercula pubertatis on 17–19, 20. Clitellum on 13–22 ............ sophieae (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Six septa (4/5–9/10) variably thickened; seminal vesicles extending backward to segment 23; spermathecae one pair per segment; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 ............................................................................ ljungstroemi (Pickford) , comb. n.

12 Spermathecal pores in four furrows (12/13–15/16) ............................................ 13

– Spermathecal pores in more than four furrows................................................... 14

13 Seminal vesicles variable in size, shape and length, extending variably at both sides, reaching segments 23, 24; spermathecae one pair per segment; calciferous glands paired, in 10 and partly in 11; clitellum on 12–23, 24; tubercula pubertatis on 16–20 .......................................................................... hamerae (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Posterior pair of seminal vesicles much larger than anterior, extending to segment 28; spermathecae one pair per segment; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous in 10–11; clitellum on 15–24; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 ................................ ................................................................................. rosai (Michaelsen) , comb. n.

14 Spermathecal pores in six furrows (11/12–16/17). Septa 4/5, 5/6 thickened moderately, 7/8, 8/9 firm, muscular; posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending to 15; clitellum on 12–26; tubercula pubertatis on 17–24 .......................................... ................................................................................... senarius (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Spermathecal pores in five furrows .................................................................... 15

15 Spermathecal pores in 11/12–15/16; septa 4/5, 5/6, 7/8, 8/9 thickened, muscular; posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending to segment 15; clitellum on 12–25; tubercula pubertatis on 17–23 ........................................ pentus (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Spermathecal pores in 12/13–16/17; septa 4/5, 5/6, 7/8, 8/9 thickened moderately, 6/7 and 9/10 firm, slightly thickened; posterior pair of seminal vesicles extending to 15; clitellum on 12–27, 28; tubercula pubertatis on 17–24 ................................ ................................................................................... obscurus (Plisko) , comb. n.

16 Anterior pair of seminal vesicles reduced .......................................................... 17

– Posterior pair of seminal vesicles reduced; anterior pair of seminal vesicles commences at 10/11 ............................................................................................ 18

17 Posterior pair of well developed seminal vesicles commencing at 11/12 extending forwards and backwards though three to five segments; three septa (4/5, 5/6, 6/7) strongly thickened, septa 7/8, 8/9 thickened less than anterior; spermathecal pores in three intersegmental furrows (13/14–15/16); spermathecae multiple; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous in 10; clitellum on 11–28; tubercula pubertatis on 18–23 .............................................................. pearsonianus (Pickford) , comb. n.

– Posterior pair of seminal vesicles confined to segment 12, enclosing posterior pair of male funnels; two septa (4/5, 5/6) moderately thickened, septa 7/8 and 8/9 thickened more than anterior; spermathecal pores in four intersegmental furrows (12/13–15/16); spermathecae one pair per segment; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous in 9; clitellum on 10–22; tubercula pubertatis on 17–20 ................. ....................................................................................... sirgeli (Plisko) , comb. n.

18 Spermathecal pores in five furrows .................................................................... 19

– Spermathecal pores in six furrows (11/12–16/17) .............................................. 20

19 Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 11/12–15/16; seminal vesicles slender, irregular tubes, enlarging gradually projecting through segments 11–13, 14; calciferous glands paired, in 10 with extension to 11, although not breaking septum 10/11; clitellum 12–25; tubercula pubertatis 17–23. Four septa (4/5, 5/6, 7/8, 8/9) thickened moderately, slightly muscular .... alipentus (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 12/13–16/17; seminal vesicles lobulated, extends through 11 to 12; calciferous glands encircling oesophagous in 10; clitellum 12–25; tubercula pubertatis 17–20 .................................................... ............................................................................. peringuei (Michaelsen), comb. n.

20 Four septa (4/5, 5/6, 7/8, 8/9) thickened firmly, muscular; seminal vesicles lobulated, variable in size, extending variably at each side, extending to 15 or 17; clitellum on 11–28; tubercula pubertatis 17–24 ................................... pauli (Plisko) , comb. n.

– Five septa (4/5, 5/6, 7/8 8/9, 9/10) thickened slightly; seminal vesicles elongated, twisting forwards and backwards extending through 11–15; clitellum 12–26; tubercula pubertatis 17–24 ........................................... imitatus (Plisko) , comb. n.

Figures

Fig. 3. Distribution of Kazimierzus species indicated as shaded area.