Glossoscolex debortolii Dudas, Brown & Bartz, 2025

Dudas, Rafaela Tavares, Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina, Cunha, Luis & Brown, George Gardner, 2025, New species of Glossoscolex and Fimoscolex earthworms (Oligochaeta: Glossoscolecidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, Zootaxa 5728 (1), pp. 79-106 : 89-90

Glossoscolex debortolii Dudas, Brown & Bartz , sp. nov.

( Figure 8 and 9 )

Holotype. COFM BRRS0465 , adult, native vegetation, in 0–20 cm soil, by qualitative method, Cruz Alta , Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, -28.763181, -53.590796, 432 m asl, August 16, 2023, M.L.C. Bartz coll.

Paratype. COFM BRRS0532 one adult, same information as holotype .

Other materials. COFM BRRS0533 , three adults , same information as the holotype, COFM BRRS0534 , two juveniles , same information as the holotype. COFM BRRS0535 , one adult , annual crops under no-tillage system, in 0–20 cm soil, by TSBF method, Cruz Alta , Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, -28.763836, -53.58449, 419 m, August 2023, G.C. Francisco, M.L.C. Bartz, N. Durães , R. T. Dudas , R. Roani , T. Ferreira, W.C. Demetrio colls .

Etymology. The species was named in honor of the De Bortoli family, owners of the Santa Teresinha Farm, a reference in the practice of the no-tillage system in Rio Grande do Sul state.

External morphology. Holotype: body length 59 mm after ethanol fixation. Body mass: 0.14 g fresh weight (alcohol preserved). Number of segments: 216. Diameter: 2.5 mm in the pre clitellar region (segment X), 2.9 mm in the clitellum (segment XVI) and 2 mm in the post clitellar region (segment XXX). Paratype: length 49 mm after ethanol fixation. Body mass: 0.11 g, number of segments: 201. Diameter: 1.9 mm in segment X, 2.6 mm in the clitellum (segment XVI), and 1.6 mm in segment XXX. Body cylindrical, non-pigmented after fixation. Prostomium open prolobic. Setae closely paired, visible throughout, setae cd visible from V onwards. Setal arrangement aa:ab: bc:cd:dd, 6.9:1:3.9:1:6.6 at segment XXX. Annular clitellum in XIV–XXIII with no genital marks or tubercula pubertatis. One pair of male pores on B line setae in XVII, in the middle of the ventral region, in the segment. Female pores not seen. Nephropores near ab line.

Internal morphology. Septa weak in 7/8/9, with veil format in 10/11/12/13. Gizzard in VI, with average size (width x length) 2.7 mm x 2.6 mm. One pair of calciferous glands in XII of composite tubular type. Intestine begins in XV, with typhlosole commencing in the same segment. Last pair of hearts in XI, in a total of five pairs, and dorsal blood vessel visible in segments VIII–X, and above the calciferous glands. Holonephridial, starting post-clitellar in XIX and extending posteriorly; exonephric, stomate, positioned close to the body wall and intestine. Tubular, non-vesiculated, whitish, and free in the coelom. Paired testes sacs in XI with iridescent color, deep below septa and followed by calciferous gland in XII, with the beginning of the gland above the end of the sacs. Seminal vesicles starting in XVIII, extending above the intestine until XLVI, arranged as two thick strips from XIII to XXVII, then becoming intermingled, and after segment XXXV forming a disorganized white mass that continues posteriorly. Ovaries and funnels not seen. Spermathecae absent. One pair of copulatory pouches of butterfly shape in 1/3 XVI– 1/3 XIX.

Remarks. Regarding the shape and position of the clitellum (annular, XV–XXIII), G. debortolii sp. nov. is similar to G. bondari Michaelen, 1926 , G. mariarum Bartz & James, 2012 , G. terraopimus Bartz & James, 2012 , and G. araucariaensis Feijoo & Brown, 2023 . The most distinctive feature of G. debortolii sp. nov. is the copulatory bulbs, which display a well-defined butterfly-like shape. Although G. bondari shares a similar extension (XVI– XIX), its bulbs are reniform. In the other species, the bulbs differ both in shape and extension: fusiform, XV–XIX in G. mariarum ; reniform, XV–XVII, in G. terraopimus ; cylindrical, XVIII–XXI in G. embrapaensis ; and bean-shaped, XVII–XVIII in G. araucariaensis .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Glossoscolex debortolii sp. nov. Holotype. A. View of the prostomium and clitellum in XIV–XIII. B. Setal arrangement, in the red rectangles, at the end of the worm, on the last segments. C. View of pair of male pores in XVII, in the middle of the segment, and the ventrally portion of clitellum. Pt: prostomium; Cl: clitellum, MP: male pore; St: setae.

FIGURE 9. Glossoscolex debortolii sp. nov. Holotype. A. view with emphasis the calciferous gland, in XII. B. Internal view highlighting the copulatory bulbs, in XVI–XIX, with butterfly shape.