Polypheretima phacellotheca ( Michaelsen, 1899 )

Fahri, Amaliah, Rizki, Annawaty & Nguyen, Anh D., 2017, The earthworm genus Polypheretima Michaelsen, 1934 (Annelida: Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia, with descriptions of four new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 65, pp. 559-573 : 568-569

Polypheretima phacellotheca ( Michaelsen, 1899)

( Fig. 6 )

Amyntas phakellotheca (sic) Michaelsen, 1899: 47.

Amyntas phacellotheca: Beddard, 1900: 640 .

Pheretima phacellotheca: Michaelsen, 1900: 293 ; Gates, 1961: 304.

Pheretima (Polypheretima) phacellotheca: Michaelsen, 1934: 15 .

Metapheretima phacellotheca: Sims & Easton, 1972: 233 ; Easton, 1976: 44.

Polypheretima phacellotheca: Easton, 1979: 55

Material examined. 4 clitellates ( MZB Oli. 0060), secondary forest (0°30′39.5″N, 120°34′1.7″E), elevation of 7 m asl., Ogotumubu Barat village , Tomini sub-district, Parigi Mautong district, Central Sulawesi province, Indonesia, 25 April 2016, leg. Fahri and Fitrallisan. 6 clitellates ( UNTAD Oli. 0006), same data as for MZB Oli. 0060 .

Re-description. External characters. Body cylindrical. Large size, length 210–220 mm, diameter 4–7 mm, segments 210–256. Colour similar on dursum and ventrum, yellow brownish in pre-clitellum and post-clitellum and pink around clitellum.

Prostomium prolobous. First dorsal pore in 12/13. Setae 44–67 in v, 59–76 in vii, 62–85 in viii, 46–98 in xxv, and 4–8 between male porophores in xviii; setae distance aa=1–3ab, zz=1–3zy. Clitellum annular, xiv–xvi, smooth without setae and dorsal pores. Female pore single, mid-ventral in xiv.

Spermathecal pores paired lateroventrally in 5/6. Ventral distance between spermathecal pores about 0.25× body circumference. No genital markings in the spermathecal region.

Male pores located inside copulatory pouches in xviii, each copulatory pouch with a large opening. Distance between the openings of copulatory pouches about 0.25× body circumference ventrally. Genital markings large, paired (rarely single) on setal rings in xix–xxii ( Table 5).

Internal characters. Septa 3/4/5/6/7/8 thick, 8/9/10 absent, 10/11/12/13 thin. Gizzard round after viii. Last hearts in xiii. Typhlosole simple. Intestine beginning from xv; caeca absent. Pharyngeal micronephridia well-developed on 6/7.

Spermathecae small to large, 9–11 in left and right in vi, respectively. Number of spermathecae variable in specimens ( Table 5). Ampulla waterdrop-shaped; duct about 1/3–1/5 as long as ampulla. Diverticulum thin, slightly shorter than ampulla, attached to duct at base; distal part expanded to seminal chamber. No accessory glands.

Holandric. Testes sacs paired in x–xi, small, separated, ventral, yellowish. Seminal vesicles in xi–xii. Ovaries paired in xiii and ovisacs developing in xiii. Prostate glands racemose, paired in xvi–xviii. Prostatic ducts C-shaped. No accessory glands.

Habitat and ecology. Specimens were found around banana trees in house yards. They were collected from the ground muddy at a depth of 0–20 cm.

Remarks. The species was previously reported from Mt. Masarang, above Tomohon (Northeast Sulawesi) ( Michaelsen, 1899; Easton, 1976). We found this species near a beach at elevation of only 7 m asl in the Ogotumubu village, central part of Sulawesi. With new fresh specimens, the distributional area of the species has been expanded to central Sulawesi.

In addition, Michaelsen (1899) described this species from northeast Sulawesi without illustrations. New illustrations, thus, are provided to support his description.

Figures

Fig. 6. Polypheretima phacellotheca (Michaelsen, 1899). A, Spermathecal pores; B, Spermathecae (amp=ampulla, dv=diverticula); C, Male pore region (mp=opening of copulatory pouchs, gm=genital marking); D, Male pore region, lateral view; E, Prostate gland. Scale bar = 1 mm.