Amynthas cf. corticis (Kinberg, 1867)

Blakemore, Robert J. & Lee, Seunghan, 2013, Survey of Busan Oligochaeta earthworms supported by DNA barcodes, Journal of Species Research 2 (2), pp. 127-144 : 132

5. Amynthas cf. corticis (Kinberg, 1867)

Material. NIBR-IV 0000261287, a mature specimen collected 25 th April, 2013 from Dongnae Botanic Gardens, Geumgang Park; IV0000261288 second and third complete specimen (160 and 100 mm long) plus a possible sub-adult (80 mm) from Jungang Park, 26 th April.

Remarks. The Dongnae specimen had spermathecae only in 7-9 that had diverticula reduced or wanting and lacked GMs. Approximately 130 pheretimoids are described with spermathecal pores in 6/7/8/9 (Blakemore unpublished), of these about 69 are in Amynthas plus A. carnosus and A. corticis that sometimes (rarely?) have specimens lacking their anterior pair of spermathecae, as in A. chunkingensis ( Chen, 1936) that was at one time associated with A. carnosus as noted above (it differs further in having only one pair of GMs on 18 just below the male pores). Other than these two taxa, the only previously known Korean representative is Amynthas moakensis Hong and Kim, 2002 that, however, is smaller (32 mm) and does appear to have a pair of GMs posteriorventral to male pores (cf. Hong and Kim, 2002: fig. 3) despite its description of having none, and long tightly coiled diverticula on the spermathecae.

In Blakemore (2002; 2010; 2012f) it keys to Amynthas asiaticus Michaelsen, 1900 . Michaelsen (1900: 527) described Chinese Pheretima asiatica (Michaelsen) with “Intestinal caeca long, with wart-like outgrowths underneath. Spermathecal diverticulum about as long as the ampulla, its proximal third tapered somewhat, slightly tortuous and narrow” - conditions that do not apply to the current specimen. The tentative conclusion is a parthenogenetically degraded A. corticis sexthecal morph lacking GMs but retaining its prostate glands. DNA data from this otherwise unremarkable and common species is pending; nevertheless, it is reviewed further in an accompanying paper ( Blakemore, 2013d).