Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) mariarum, Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina, James, Samuel Wooster, Pasini, Amarildo & Brown, George Gardner, 2012

Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina, James, Samuel Wooster, Pasini, Amarildo & Brown, George Gardner, 2012, New earthworm species of Glossoscolex Leuckart, 1835 and Fimoscolex Michaelsen, 1900 (Clitellata: Glossoscolecidae) from Northern Paraná, Brazil, Zootaxa 3458, pp. 59-85 : 72-73

Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) mariarum n. sp. Bartz & James

( Fig. 3 e,f, Table 1)

Holotype. COFM 0002 adult, forest soil, Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Estadual Mata São Pedro, Lupionópolis, Paraná, Brazil; 22º41.79’S, 51º40.82’W, 314 masl, 29 April 2004, G.G. Brown and S.W. James colls.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of the three sisters—Maria Beatriz Ferrari Borges, Maria Eugênia Ferrari Borges and Maria Luiza Ferrari Borges—who are the owners of the forest reserve where the earthworms were collected.

Description. Dimensions 74 mm by 2.5 mm at x, 3.2 mm at clitellum, 2.6 mm at xl, body cylindrical, 275 segments. Setae closely paired throughout; genital setae absent; setal formula AA:AB:BC:CD:DD = 14:1:6:1:19 at x and AA:AB:BC:CD:DD = 20.7:1:4:1:17.3 at lx. Setae ab commence on iii, cd on iv. Prostomium prolobous, postsetal secondary annulations present xi–xiii. Unpigmented. Ovipores, almost invisible, lateral to a, in xiv. Male pores 1.2 mm apart on xvii within paired slight smooth dimples, round porophores; segment xvii much narrowed. Clitellum annular, xv–xxiii ( Fig. 3 e, f). Nephropores just above b.

Septa 6/7 slightly, 7/8–10/11 equally thick and muscular, 11/12 thin, septa 12/13/14 /15 lacking white sac-like glandular development and 13/14 filled with fine stringy white material; joined at the outer edges forming two sacs. Alimentary canal with barrel shaped gizzard in vi; esophagus with high chevron-patterned lamellae vii–xi, valvular in xiv; intestinal origin xv; typhlosole origin xv, end cxxiv, tight zig-zag folded xv–xix, zig-zag with ventral edge bent over to form pockets xx–xxiii, after xxiv gradually becoming simple lamina. Calciferous glands paired xii, composite-tubular type, radial tubes dorsal-lateral to esophagus; blood vessels to gland include large branch of dorsal vessel to approximate center of each gland, two coalescing vessels from ventral gland margin to extra-esophageal vessel. Gland opening to esophagus near dorsum, large with lip along ventral margin. Holonephric, vesiculate; ducts to body wall near level of b.

Vascular system with ventral trunk, single dorsal trunk, lateral vessels in vii–ix, esophageal hearts in x–xi. Extra-esophageal vessel visible near pharyngeal glands, passes along ventral-lateral face of gizzard and esophagus, ending in calciferous glands; supraesophageal vessel in x–xi.

Ovaries, ovarian funnels free in xiii adjacent to seminal vesicle tube passing through xiii; spermathecae absent. Male sexual system metandric, testes and funnels in single midventral subesophageal sac in xi; medial to hearts of xi, pass narrow tubes to seminal vesicles; seminal vesicles expand from narrow tubes in xi–xii, penetrate septa and in xiii–xx form solid brilliant lateral bulges to xxi–xxviii, xxix, then expand suddenly in xxix, xxx to numerous lateral bead-droplet shaped branches along intestine to xlix; vasa deferentia long, looped from xi, form dense zigzag on body wall en route to ventro-anterior face of muscular fusiform copulatory bulbs; bulbs extend over 1/ 3xv–xix. Copulatory bulbs with thin muscular outer layer, dense, delicate corrugated glandular inner surface with small lumen leading to male pore at approximate center of bulb connection to body wall; no transverse muscle bands crossing over bulbs.

Remarks. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) mariarum is similar to Glossoscolex (G.) bondari Michaelsen, 1926 , G. (G.) lacteus Zicsi & Csuzdi, 1999 and G. (G.) terraopimus n. sp. (see below) The differences between G. (G.) mariarum and G. (G.) bondari and G. (G.) lacteus are as follows, with the characteristics of the both latter in parentheses: length 74 mm (180–215 mm and 40–72 mm), number of segments 275 (400–426 and 123–178), setae beginning between ii and iv (setae beginning in segment iv and very small and inconspicuous in the front body), setal ratios 20.7:1:4:1:17.3 (16.4:1:4.3:1:18.4 and 12:1.4:6:1:18), hearts of xi free (hearts of xi half enclosed in testes sacs and hearts of xi free), septa 12/13/14 /15 lacking white sac-like glandular development and 13/14 filled with fine stringy white material; joined at the outer edges forming two sacs (septa 11/12/13 /14 with numerous white round masses and not mentioned), copulatory bulbs fusiform (bean shaped and elongated). Glossoscolex (G.) mariarum differs from G. (G.) terraopimus by: position of female pores in equatorial line lateral to a (pre-setal in line of b), form and extension of the copulatory bulbs: fusiform, 1/3 xv–xix (vs. bean shaped, xv–1/2xviii), form and extension of seminal vesicles: branched, lobulated, xii–il (long flattened tubes, xii–lxix,lxxv). Glossoscolex (G.) mariarum has clitellar male pores in xvii. According to the species groups for the subgenus Glossocolex defined by male pore location, G. (G.) mariarum falls in the questionable truncatus group (see discussion).

Figures

FIGURE 3. New species of Glossoscolex, continued. A, B. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) palus n. sp.. C, D. G. (Glossoscolex) primaensis n. sp. E, F. Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) mariarum n. sp. FM = female pores; MP = male pores; A, C, E lateral view, B, D, F ventral view.