Kynotus alaotranus Michaelsen, 1907

Csuzdi, Csaba, Razafindrakoto, Malalatiana & Blanchart, Eric, 2012, New and little known earthworm species from Central Madagascar (Oligochaeta: Kynotidae), Zootaxa 3578, pp. 36-42 : 37

Kynotus alaotranus Michaelsen, 1907

( Fig. 1 )

Kynotus alaotranus Michaelsen, 1907: 48 .

Material examined. Holotype: V6931 (Zoological Museum Hamburg). Madagascar, Alaotra Lake. Leg. Voeltzkow, 0 7.1904. HNHM AF /5528, six ex., ZMUA-003, two ex. Vohimana Reserve, secondary Pandanus forest. Leg. Csuzdi Cs., Blanchart E., Razafindrakoto, M. 17.04.2008. HNHM AF /5539, three ex. Sambaina, open bush-land. Leg. Csuzdi, Cs., Blanchart, E., Razafindrakoto, M. 21.04.2008.

Diagnosis. Length 80–120 mm, diameter 5–6 mm. Colour alive reddish on dorsum, pale on ventrum. Pigmentation sometimes lacking. Segments 1–3 simple, 4–10 biannulate. Setae ab and cd appear from segment 3. Male pores large, ventral on 16. Clitellum circular on 18–27, ½28. Setae closely paired, both ab and cd lateral. Spermathecal pores from above ab 2–4 on each side in 13/14, 14/15, 15/16. Septa 5/6–10/11 slightly thickened. Spermathecae irregularly sac-shaped, duct very thin and twice as long as ampulla. Genital setal glands in 14, 15. Genital setae lanceolate, length 1.6–1.7 mm, diameter 0.05 mm, ornamentation dense serration ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks. This is the first record of this species after the original description. The new material agrees well with the original description of the species and the type specimen kept in the Michaelsen collection in Hamburg (V6931). The only difference found is the variability of the number of spermathecae in a line, which is constantly two in the single holotype and varies between two and four in our specimens. The specimens collected in the Vohimana Reserve possessed slight reddish coloration on the anterior-dorsal side, however those from Sambaina were pigmentless. All other characters were identical in the two populations sampled.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kynotus alaotranus Michaelsen, 1907, penial seta. A. Tip of the seta. B. Ornamentation. FIGURE 2. Kynotus michaelseni Rosa, 1892, penial seta. A. Tip of the seta. B. Ornamentation.