Shimodrilus bhatkalensis, Julka, J. M., Blanchart, Eric & Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie, 2004

Julka, J. M., Blanchart, Eric & Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie, 2004, New genera and new species of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Octochaetidae) from Western Ghats, South India, Zootaxa 486, pp. 1-27 : 11-13

Shimodrilus bhatkalensis sp. nov.

Type material: INDIA: Karnataka: holotype ( HAZFS /ZSI An797), clitellate, 11 paratypes ( HAZFS /ZSI An798), clitellate, Bhatkal road, [14°03'N 74°43'E], 628m, undisturbed evergreen forest, August 2001 (L. Lardy).

Additional Material: INDIA: Karnataka: coll. E. Blanchart: 1 aclitellate, 3 clitellate, 12 km from Kogar down to Bhatkal [14°04'N 74°41'E], 150m, forest, October 1991; coll. L. Lardy: 5 clitellate, Herbettu, [13°57'N 74°47'E], 690m, moderately disturbed evergreen forest, August 2001.

Diagnosis. Spermathecal pores paired, presetal, just anterior to setal arcs or about equidistant from setal arcs and intersegmental furrows on segments 8 and 9, at about mid ab on 8, slightly median to b lines on 9; setae a, b on 8 copulatory; vas deferens discharge on to body surface through a pear shaped muscular body; each spermatheca with a bifid diverticulum.

So far known species of Shimodrilus , S. bhatkalensis sp. nov. and S. karniensis sp. nov. (described elsewhere in this paper) can be easily distinguished from each other by the location of spermathecal pores on segments 8 and 9 ( Figs. 13, 17 ); presence of copulatory setae in bhatkalensis as opposed to absent in karniensis ; vas deferens discharging on to body surface through a muscular body in bhatkalensis rather than directly on to body surface as in karniensis ; spermathecae unidiverticulate in bhatkalensis versus bidiverticulate in karniensis .

Description. Length 48–55 mm, diameter 2–2.5 mm, 127–130 segments. Prostomium proepilobic, retracted. First dorsal pore 8/9. Clitellum 14–16. Setae aa = 3.5 ab = 0.8 bc = 1.2 cd = 0.17 dd on 12, aa = 3.3 ab = 1.1 bc = 2 cd = 0.22 dd on 24; a, b on 8 copulatory. Male pores minute, at b lines; prostatic pores slightly lateral to a lines; seminal grooves concave. Spermathecal pores tiny, presetal, just anterior to setal arcs or about equidistant from setal arcs and intersegmental furrows on segments 8 and 9, at about mid ab on 8, slightly median to b lines on 9 ( Fig. 13 ).

Septa 5/6 slightly muscular, 6/7–11/12 muscular. Intestine begins in 19, typhlosole 25– 91 (67 segments). Last pair of hearts in 13. Testes and male funnels free in 10 and 11; vas deferens discharge on to body surface through a pear­shaped muscular body in 18; seminal vesicles in 11 and 12. Penial setae ( Fig. 14 ) ornamented with broken rings of short spines, tip pointed and slightly excavated on one side, shaft bent, 0.72–0.77 mm long, 15–18 diameter. Spermathecae paired ( Fig. 15 ), in 8 and 9, each with a shortly stalked, bifid (sometimes completely divided) diverticulum, at about middle and anterior face of duct, which is about as long as ampulla. Copulatory setae ( Fig. 16 ) ornamented with marginal scale­like spines, a longitudinal row of excavations and a few short transverse rows of 3–4 small spines, tip claw­shaped, 0.39–0.41 mm long, 14–17 diameter.

Reproduction. Presumably biparental; parthenogenesis suspected in some individuals with small seminal vesicles and shriveled spermathecal ampullae.

Ingesta. Mostly light brown fine mineral soil with scattered particles of quartz and black organic matter.

Ecological data. This species is restricted to forests with the soil characteristics: OM content 8.2 g 100g­1 soil, C/N 12.6, clay content 43%, bulk density 0.94 Mg m­3, pH (water) 4.9, cations 12.2 cmol kg­1 soil, CEC 21.4 cmol kg­1 soil.

Ecological category. S. bhatkalensis appears to be endogeic based on the information provided by intestinal ingesta and form of typhlosole, and absence of body pigmentation.

Etymology. The species is named after the locality ‘Bhatkal’.

Remarks. Referred as ‘Genus B sp1’ in Blanchart and Julka (1997).

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 23. Shimodrilus bhatkalensis sp. nov. (13 – 16): 13, genital region; 14, penial seta; 15, spermatheca; 16, copulatory seta. Shimodrilus karniensis sp. nov. (17 – 19): 17, genital region; 18, penial seta; 19, spermatheca. Herbettodrilus bahli sp. nov. (20 – 23): 20, genital region; 21, penial seta; 22, spermatheca; 23, copulatory seta. Scale bar 4.0 mm (17, 20), 2.5 mm (13), 1.5 mm (19, 22), 0.5 mm (15), 0.1 mm (21, 23), 0.05 mm (14, 16, 18).