Kynotus parvus, Csuzdi, Csaba, Razafindrakoto, Malalatiana & Blanchart, Eric, 2012

Csuzdi, Csaba, Razafindrakoto, Malalatiana & Blanchart, Eric, 2012, New and little known earthworm species from Central Madagascar (Oligochaeta: Kynotidae), Zootaxa 3578, pp. 36-42 : 41-42

Kynotus parvus sp. nov.

( Figs 5–6 , 8)

Holotype. HNHM AF /5532, Andranomanelatra, 15 km N of Antsirabe (19o 26’S, 47o 23’E) ca. 1500 m, under Aristida sp. grassland. Leg. Blanchart E. 0 1.2005.

Paratypes. HNHM AF /5210, two ex., AF /5214, six ex., AF /5216 three ex., locality and date same as that of the Holotype. ZMUA-008, three ex., Antsirabe. Leg. Razafindrakoto, M. 0 6.01.2009.

Etymology. The species name refers to the small dimensions of the worms.

Diagnosis. Length 65–100 mm, diameter 3–4 mm. Colour alive slightly reddish on dorsum, pale on ventrum, conserved overall pale. Segments 1–3 simple, 4–10 biannulate. Setae ab and cd appear from segment 2. Male pore ventral on 16. Clitellum circular on 18–26, ½27. Setae closely paired, ab ventrolateral, cd dorsolateral. Spermathecal pores from just below cd to middorsal line 2–3 on each side in 13/14, 14/15, 15/16. Septa 6/7–9/10 thickened. Spermathecae irregularly sac-shaped with short duct. Genital setal glands in (13,) 14, 15. Genital setae lanceolate, length 0.9–0.95 mm, diameter 0.025 mm, ornamentation wide serrations.

Description. Holotype 92 mm in length, diameter after the clitellum 3 mm segment number 130, tail truncated. Paratypes 65–100 mm in length, 3–4 mm in diameter, segment number 162–193. Colour alive slightly reddish on dorsum, pale on ventrum, conserved overall pale. Head prolobous, segments 1–3 simple, 4–10 clearly biannulate. Dorsal pores lacking. Setae small, ab and cd begin on segment 2. Setae ab ventrolateral, cd dorsolateral, setal ratio aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 30:1.5:10:1:30 (Fig. 8). Nephridial pores begin on segment 2, between setal line ab>cd. Clitellum on segments 18–26, ½27 ( Fig. 5 ). Male pores ventral, large oval slits on 16. Female pores not seen. Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows13/14, 14/15, 15/16, 2–3 on each side, usually from just below cd. Genital setal pores segmental, on (13,) 14, 15.

Internal characters. Large muscular gizzard in 5. Septa 5/6 slightly, 6/7–9/10 more prominently thickened. Calciferous glands, lamellae and typhlosolis lacking. Dorsal blood vessel simple throughout, last pair of hearts in 11. Excretory system holoic, vesiculate, nephridial bladders J-shaped, reclinate, provided with a terminal sac. Two pairs of testes and sperm funnels in 10, 11 enclosed in large peri-oesophageal testis sacs. Vesicula seminales lacking. Ovarium in 13. A pair of large, oval copulatory chambers occupying the ventral place of segments 16–18. Each copulatory chamber bearing an irregular prostate-like gland (pseudoprostate) bulging up to the 25th segment. Spermathecae small, irregular sac-shaped, duct very small, ampulla almost sitting on the body wall. Two, rarely three pairs of genital setal organs present in segments (13,) 14, 15, consisting of a small gland similar to the pseudoprostates and a genital setal sac containing two mature setae. The genital setae lanceolate, 0.9–0.95 mm in length, 0.025 mm in diameter, ornamentation wide serrations ( Fig. 6 ).

Remarks. K. parvus sp. nov. is the second smallest among the known Kynotidae species. It is somewhat similar to K. minutus , however differs from it in the lack of intensive red-violet pigmentation, presence of thickened septa, number of genital setal glands and furthermore in the size and ornamentation of the genital setae.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 6. Kynotus parvus sp. nov. 5. Dorsal view of the holotype, anterior end, scale 5 mm. 6. Penial seta. A. The whole seta. B. Tip of the seta. C. Ornamentation.