Eisenia transcaucasica ( Perel, 1967 )

Szederjesi, Tímea, Pavlíček, Tomás, Latif, Robabeh & Csuzdi, Csaba, 2014, Review of the Eisenia muganiensis (Michaelsen, 1910) species group with description of two new species (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae), Zootaxa 3884 (3), pp. 282-288 : 287

Eisenia transcaucasica ( Perel, 1967)

Allolobophora transcaucasica Perel, 1967: 108 .

Eisenia transcaucasica: Perel 1974: 1610 ; 1979: 223; 1997:73. Eisenia transcaucasica transcaucasica: Kvavadze 1985: 162 .

Diagnosis. Length 49–62 mm, diameter 4–5 mm, setae closely paired. Colour pale. First dorsal pore in 4/5. Clitellum on 1/2 26, 26–36, tubercles on 31–35. Male pore on 15, surrounded by glandular crescents. Four pairs of vesicles in 9–12. Spermathecae two pairs in 9/10, 10/11, open near cd. Calciferous glands in 11, 12 without distinct diverticula. Nephridial bladders simple, sausage-shaped. Longitudinal musculature fasciculated.

Distribution. Western Caucasus around Krasnaya Polyana and in the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, Russia ( Kvavadze 1985).

Remarks. This diagnosis is from the original description. Kvavadze (1985) described E. transcaucasica breviclitelata from a locality near the Laura River, Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, Russia. However, this species has much shorter clitellum (25–33) and tubercles (29–33). The specimens possess large calciferous diverticula in 10–12, proving that they are not related to E. transcaucasica . Unfortunately, there is no data available on the shape of the nephridial bladders. However, absent pigmentation and large calciferous diverticula in 10 could indicate that breviclitelata can even belong to the genus Allolobophora .