Metaphire rusydii Fahri, Amaliah & Nguyen

Fahri, Fahri, Amaliah, Rizki, Suryobroto, Bambang, Atmowidi, Tri & Anh D. Nguyen,, 2018, Three new " caecate " earthworm species from Sulawesi, Indonesia (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae), ZooKeys 805, pp. 1-14 : 7-9

Metaphire rusydii Fahri, Amaliah & Nguyen sp. n. Fig. 4

Material examined.

Holotype. 1 mature (MZB Oli. 066), hiking trail No.1 (01°25'18.44"S, 119°55'00.14"E), elevation of 1,120 m a.s.l., 25 November 2017, natural forest of Mt. Torompupu (Quarlesi Mountain), Salua village, Kulawi sub-district, Sigi district, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, coll. Anna J Holmquest, F Fahri. Paratypes. 1 mature (UNTAD Oli. 011), hiking trail No.2 (01°25'17.54"S, 119°53'53.4"E), elevation 1,360 m a.s.l., 24 November 2017, same data as for holotype, coll. Jackie Childers & S Sarino.

Diagnosis.

Large size, length 250-280 mm, diameter 12-16 mm, segments 117-119; purplish blue on dorsum, and paler on ventrum. Prostomium 1/3 epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12. Setae 36-51 in v, 45-54 in vii, 41-59 in viii and 43-51 in xxv, and no setae between male porophores in xviii. Male pores located in xviii, within copulatory pouches. Genital markings present only in the male region. Spermathecal pores lateroventrally paired in 7/8/9. Holandric. Intestinal caeca complex or lobed mesially.

Etymology.

The species is named after Dr H M Rusydi Hasanuddin, Dean of Faculty of Sciences at Tadulako University, for his kind support to the authors for this research.

Description.

External characters. Body generally cylindrical. Large size, length 250-280 mm, diameter 12-16 mm at x and 13-15 mm at xx, segments 117-119. Purplish blue on dorsum through the lateral region, clitellum purplish brown on dorsum through the lateral region and paler on ventrum, especially for living specimens (Fig. 4 A–C). After fixation, color grayish blue on dorsum and yellowish white on ventrum.

Prostomium 1/3 epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12. Setae regularly distributed around segmental equators, 36-51 in v, 45-54 in vii, 41-59 in viii and 43-51 in xxv, no setae between male porophores in xviii; setae distance aa=ab, zz=1-1.2zy. Clitellum annular, within xiv–xvi, smooth without setae and dorsal pores. Female pore single, mid-ventral in xiv.

Spermathecal pores obviously visible, horizontally elongated, jagged, or small, ventrally paired in 7/8/9 (Fig. 4D). Ventral distance between spermathecal pores 0.04x body circumference, and horizontal length of pores ca. 2-3 mm.

Male pores deeply located inside copulatory pouches in the setal ring of xviii. The openings of copulatory pouches horizontally elongated, with swollen edges; ventral distance between male porophores 0.02x body circumference (Fig. 4G). Three pairs of small, rounded genital markings including two in front of the setal rings of xvii and xx, and one medially located in the setal ring of xix (Fig. 4G). Ventral distance between genital markings in xvii and xx about 0.07x body circumference, and less than 0.01x body circumference in xix.

Internal characters. Septa 3/4/5/6/7/8 and 10/11/12/13 thick, 8/9 membranous and 9/10 absent. Gizzard in viii. Last hearts in xiii. Intestine beginning in xv; caeca laterally paired, complex or lobed mesially, originating at xxvii, then extending anteriorly to xxii (Fig. 4H). Pharyngeal micronephridia developed on anterior faces of 5/6/7. Lymph glands not seen. Typhlosole simple, poorly developed.

Spermathecae paired in viii and ix. Spermathecal ampulla large, oval shaped; ducts stout and short, 1/5 as long as ampulla. Diverticulum cylindrical, much shorter than ampulla, attached to ducts; distal part enlarged to a rounded seminal chamber (Fig. 4E). No nephridia on spermathecal ducts. No accessory glands in the spermathecal region.

Holandric. Testes sacs paired in x–xi, large, separated, ventral, yellowish. The copulatory pouches hidden inside body wall. Seminal vesicles in xi–xii. Ovaries paired on xiii, oviduct and ovisac developing in xiii. Prostate glands racemose, paired in xvii–xix (Fig. 4F). Prostatic duct U–shaped, invisible from dorsal view since being hidden under prostate glands. No accessory glands.

Habitat and ecology.

Specimens were collected in Mt. Torompupu (Quarlessi Mountain), natural forest at 1,120 m a.s.l. and 1,360 m a.s.l. This species was found on soil surface in piles of leaf litter after rains. According to local hunters in Mt. Torompupu, the species can be mostly found after rains and usually observed on old trails in the forest. We did not find this species at an altitude of less than 1,000 m a.s.l.; presumably, the species may be distributed in an altitude of more than 1,000 m a.s.l.

Remarks.

The new species, Metaphire rusydii sp. n., belongs to the schmardae -group, which is characterized by two thecal segments, holandry, and having structure multiple/complex of intestinal caeca ( Sims and Easton 1972). This new species is fairly similar to M. schmardae (Horst, 1883) by having spermathecal pores in 7/8/9, holandry, and complex intestinal caeca in xxvii. However, they are different in number of setae between male porophores (0 vs. 12-14 setae). M. rusydii sp. n. is also similar to M. xuanlocensis (Nguyen & Lam, 2017) by having first spermathecal pore in 7/8 and first dorsal pore in 11/12. However, M. xuanlocensis has only one pair of spermathecal pores (in 7/8) whereas M. rusydii sp. n. has two pairs of spermathecal pores in 7/8/9. This new species is somewhat similar to Metaphire isselii (Cognetti, 1908) by having small male pores and holandry. However, they are different in the position of male pores (xviii vs. xix), spermathecal pores (7/8/9 vs. 6/7-8/9) and first dorsal pore (11/12 vs. 12/13).