Pheretima urceolata ( Horst, 1893 )

Aspe, Nonillon M. & James, Samuel W., 2017, Pheretimoid earthworms (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from Mt. Apo, Mindanao Island, Philippines with description of eight new species, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 65, pp. 357-372 : 363-364

Pheretima urceolata ( Horst, 1893)

Material examined. adult ( NMP 4620 ), Brgy Baracatan , Davao City , Mt. Apo National Park (7°00′04″N, 125°21′55″E), 1,524 m asl, Mindanao Island, Philippines, coll. N. Aspe, A. Solis, D. Flores, R. Librado, 11–14 December 2003. Other material: one adult, three preclitellates ( ZRC. ANN 0073 ), same collection data as the adult examined .

Description. Brown dorsum, lighter ventrum, equators non-pigmented. Length 113–114 mm (n= 2 adults); diameter 3.5–4 mm at x, 3.5–4.5 mm at xx; body cylindrical in cross-section, tail tapering; 96–99 segments. First dorsal pore 12/13. One pair of spermathecal pores at 5/6, distance between spermathecal pores 1.8 mm (0.16 circumference ventrally apart). Female pore single in xiv. Openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, distance between openings 1.2 mm (0.11 circumference apart ventrally); 2 setae between openings. Clitellum annular, from xiv to xvi. Setae unevenly distributed around equators in some segments; 20–25 setae on vii, 43 setae on xx, dorsal setal gaps present, no ventral gaps. Genital markings lacking.

Septa 5/6/7, 8/9 membranous, 7/8, 10/11–13/14 thick, 9/10 lacking. Dense tufts of nephridia on anterior faces of 5/6 and 6/7; nephridia of intestinal segments located mainly on body near septum/body wall junction. Large gizzard in viii–x, esophagus with low vertical lamellae x–xiii, intestinal origin in xvi, caeca simple originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxiv; typhlosole originating in xxvii, simple fold, 1/3 lumen diameter, intestinal wall with 31 longitudinal blood vessels. Hearts in x to xiii, esophageal; commissural vessels in vi, vii, and ix lateral; those in viii extending to gizzard.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii. Spermathecae paired, postseptal in vi, with nephridia on ducts; each spermatheca with an elongated ampulla and a very large bulbous, muscular duct expanding ectally, diverticulum attached to the ental portion of the right face of the right spermathecal duct, and to left face of the left spermathecal duct, stalks short, terminating in elongated receptacles. Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; seminal vesicles in xi, xii, each with a digitate dorsal lobe; vesicles of xi enclosed in testis sacs; vasa deferentia slender, free from body wall en route to ental end of prostatic ducts; prostates in xvii to xviii; each prostate a single, dense, racemose mass, with three lobes; short, muscular duct entering anterior margin of copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae ovate in xviii–xix; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; pads present on roof and floor; penis present, conical.

Remarks. The P. urceolata of Mt. Apo closely match with the description of the type specimen Horst, 1893 and the other specimens from Sumatra described by Gates (1961). Gates (1961) also described a specimen of P. urceolata from Mt. Apo at 1,890 m asl, in which he suspected that human intervention may have helped to attain this extensive distribution. We argue that the distribution of P. urceolata in Mt. Apo is not a result of human intervention but it may be a native here as the locality of the specimens is remote from human disturbances to cause introduction of earthworms from Sumatra or Indonesia. In our collections, only at 1,000 m asl and below where there are human settlements and farm lands, yielded exotic species Pontoscolex corethrurus ( Müller, 1857) and Eudrilus eugeniae ( Kinberg, 1867) . Gates (1961) defined P. urceolata to include specimens with body length ranging from 44–170 mm and body diameter ranging from from 2–5 mm but admits that the size range seems unusual. We agree that the size range may be very wide for this species and we suggest to reexamine the other specimens and consider other morphological features for species reevaluation. We recommend that a phylogenetic analysis be conducted for the P. urceolata specimens from Sumatra and the Philippines to verify their taxonomic identity and determine their evolutionary relationship. As for now, we update the definition of P. urceolata , based on the type specimen, the specimens described by Gates (1961), and the specimens described here.

Definition. Yellowish brown to brown dorsum, equators non-pigmented. Length 66–114 mm; diameter 3.5–4.5 mm at xx; 92–104 segments. First dorsal pore 12/13. One pair of spermathecal pores at 5/6, distance between spermathecal pores 0.16 circumference ventrally apart, distance between openings 0.11 circumference apart ventrally, 2–12 setae between openings. Pre-clitellar setae 20–36, postclitellar setae 40–43, dorsal setal gaps present, no ventral gaps. Genital markings lacking.

Septa 9/10 lacking. Large gizzard in viii–x, intestinal origin in xvi, caeca simple originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxiii; Hearts in x to xiii, esophageal; commissural vessels in vi, vii, and ix lateral. Ovaries and funnels free in xiii. Spermathecae paired, postseptal in vi, with nephridia on ducts; each spermatheca with elongate ampulla, very large bulbous, muscular duct expanding ectally, diverticulum attached to the ental portion of the right face of the right spermathecal duct, and to the left face of the left spermathecal duct, stalks short, terminating in elongated receptacles. Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; seminal vesicles in xi, xii, each with a digitate dorsal lobe; prostates in xvii to xviii; each prostate a single, dense, racemose mass, with three lobes; short, muscular duct entering anterior margin of copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae ovate in xviii–xix; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; pads present on roof and floor; penis present, conical.