Glossoscolex sp.

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 : 94

Glossoscolex sp. 77

( Figure 14 )

Material. COFM BRRS 0471 , one amputated adult, native vegetation, in 0–20 cm soil, by TSBF method, Maracaí , São Paulo, Brazil, -22.668361, -50.880278, 390 m, March 25, 2024, F.M.O. Lourenço, G.A. Ramos, K.B.F. Pepe, M.L.C. Bartz , R. T. Dudas , R. Ralisch , T.M. Kinupp colls .

External morphology diagnosis. Body length 24 mm after ethanol fixation. Body mass: 0.11 g fresh weight (ethanol preserved). Number of segments: 47. Diameter: 3 mm in the pre clitellar region (segment X), 3.9 mm in the clitellum (segment XVI) and 2.9 mm in the post clitellar region (segment XXX). Body cylindrical, non-pigmented after fixation. Prostomium open prolobic. Setae closely paired, setae ab visible from IV/ V onwards, but more visible after the clitellum. Setal arrangement aa:ab:bc:cd:dd, 3.3:1.2:2.1:1:3.5 at segment XXX. Clitellum in XV–XXII saddle shaped. Genital marks or tubercula pubertatis absent. Female pores not seen. One pair of male pores, on ab setal line, in XVII, in a volcanic protuberance. Nephropores near ab line.

Internal morphology diagnosis. Septa very strongly attached to the body wall and membranous in 7/8/9. Gizzard in VI, with average size (width x length) 4 mm x 6 mm. One pair of calciferous glands in XII, with composite tubular structure. Intestine begining in XV, with typhlosole in the same segment. Five pairs of hearts, with last pair in XI. Holonephridial, starting pre-clitellar in XIII and extending posteriorly; exonephric, stomate, positioned close to the body wall and intestine, tubular, slender, non-vesiculated, whitish, and slightly coiled distally, free in the coelom. Paired testes sacs in XI, previous to calciferous glands. Seminal vesicles starting in XII and ending in XV. Ovaries not seen. Spermathecae absent. One pair of copulatory bulbs of rounded shape in XVII–XVIII.

Remarks. The shape and position of the clitellum in Glossoscolex sp. 77 are similar to those of G. uruguayensis Cordero, 1943 , G. corderoi Righi, 1968 , G. riograndesis , G. parvus , G. pastivus , and G. pampas Bartz & James, 2018 . As for the paired testes sacs, in Glossoscolex sp. 77 they are located only in XI, while the others exhibit variations in form (some in U form), quantity (paired/unpaired), and position (starting in XI and going to XII– XIII). The size of the seminal vesicles is also unique to Glossoscolex sp. 77 when compared to these other species, occupying XII–XV. Although Glossoscolex sp. 77 shows similarity in male pore form to G. arnsi sp. nov., DNA analyses indicated that they are, in fact, distinct species.

The species name follows a sequential order of potentially new species deposited in the Fritz Muller Oligochaete Collection (COFM). The formal description of this species is awaiting collection of additional material. We provide information on its morphology and genetics here so that it can be compared with other known species in the future.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Glossoscolex sp.77 sp. nov. Holotype. A. External ventral view, showing the clitellum, in XV–XXII, and the pair of male pores in XVII. B. Internal overview with gizzard in VI, septa, in VII–X, seminal vesicle, in XII–XV calciferous gland in XII. Intestine, in XV and the copulatory bulbs, in XVII–XVIII. C: emphasis in the copulatory bulb. Cl: clitellum; MP: Male pore; Gz: gizzard; Sp: septa; SV: seminal vesicle; CG: calciferous gland; In: intestine; CB: copulatory bulb.