Polypheretima Michaelsen, 1934

Nguyen, Tung T., Tran, Binh T. T. & Nguyen, Anh D., 2015, Three new earthworm species of the genus Polypheretima Michaelsen, 1934 (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 3905 (4), pp. 593-600 : 594

Genus Polypheretima Michaelsen, 1934

Pheretima (Polypheretima) Michaelsen, 1934a: 15 .

Metapheretima Michaelsen (part.) — Sims & Easton 1972: 205, 233. Polypheretima Michaelsen — Easton 1979: 28.

Type species. Perichaeta stelleri Michaelsen, 1892 , by original designation.

Distribution. Philippines, Indonesian archipelago, Papua New Guinea, Malaya peninsula and Vietnam ( Easton 1979).

Remarks. Michaelsen (1934a) proposed a subgenus Polypheretima for a species group characterized by multiple spermathecae arranged in pairs of transverse groups, with two or more than two per group, and absence of intestinal caeca. However, Sims & Easton (1972) did not support the concept of the subgenus Polypheretima because of variations among individuals in terms of number of spermathecae, for example in Pheretima elongata . They placed all Polypheretima species in Metapheretima and suggested to wait for more polythecal conditions to separate Polypheretima into a genus. Soon after, Easton (1979) revised the systematics of the 'acaecate' Pheretima group and raised Polypheretima to full generic rank.