Pheretima marinanaensis, Aspe & Manasan & Manlavi & Patiluna & Sebido & Obusan & Simbahan & James, 2021

Aspe, Nonillon M., Manasan, Rafael Ethan, Manlavi, Albert B., Patiluna, Ma. Lotus E., Sebido, Maria Asela B., Obusan, Marie Christine M., Simbahan, Jessica F. & James, Samuel W., 2021, The earthworm fauna of Palawan, Philippines with description of nineteen new pheretimoid species (Clitellata: Megascolecidae), Journal of Natural History 55 (11 - 12), pp. 733-797 : 750-752

Pheretima marinanaensis sp. nov.

( Figure 6 )

Material examined

Holotype: adult ( WPU-A008 ), Mt. Mantalingahan in Brgy. Marinana , municipality of Brooke’s Point, (8.750°N, 117.683°E), 930 m asl, Palawan Province, Philippines, coll.

S. James, D. Flores, 25 October 2003 . Paratypes: two adults ( WPU-A009 ), same collection data as for holotype .

Etymology

The species is named after Brgy. Marinana in the municipality of Brooke’s Point, Palawan, where the species was collected.

Diagnosis

Brown worm with adult length 164–197 mm, diameter 4–6 mm; 116–126 segments; four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9; 41–48 setae on vii, 49–57 setae on xx; 7–8 setae between male pores; spermathecal pores 0.24–0.25 circumference apart ventrally; male openings 0.25–0.29 circumference apart ventrally; genital markings lacking; prostates small in xvi–xviii; penis lacking.

Description

Brown, equators pigmented. Length 164–197 mm (n = 3 adults); diameter 5–6 mm at x, 4–6 mm at xx; body circular in cross section, tail tapering; 116–126 segments. First dorsal pore at 12/13, four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9, spermathecal pores 3.5–4.5 mm (0.24–0.25 circumference apart ventrally). Female pore single in xiv, openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, distance between openings 3.5–4.5 mm (0.25–0.29 circumference apart ventrally), 7–8 setae between openings. Clitellum annular, from xiv to xvi. Setae unevenly distributed around equators in some segments; 41–48 setae on vii, 49–57 setae on xx, dorsal and ventral setal gaps present. Genital markings lacking.

Septa 4/5–7/8 and 10/11–13/14 thin, 8/9/10 lacking. Dense tufts of nephridia on anterior faces of 5/6 and 6/7; nephridia in intestinal segments located mainly on body near septum/body wall junction. Gizzard in ix–x, oesophagus with low vertical lamellae x– xiii, intestinal origin in xiv; caeca simple, originating in xxvi, extending forward to xxii. Hearts in x–xiii, oesophageal; commissural vessels in vi, vii and ix lateral.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii. Spermathecae four pairs in vi–ix, with many nephridia on ducts. Each spermatheca with irregularly round ampulla; thick, bulbous, muscular duct; single stalked diverticulum attached to the ental portion of the right face of duct of right spermatheca, and on left face of duct of left spermatheca; stalk short, terminating in round receptacle. Male sexual system holandric; testes and funnels enclosed in paired sacs in x, xi; seminal vesicles xi, xii, each with digitate dorsal lobe; vesicles of xi enclosed in testes sac; vasa deferentia slender, free from body wall on way to ental end of prostatic ducts; prostates in xvi–xviii; each prostate a single, dense, racemose mass; short muscular duct entering copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae round, small in xviii; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; penis lacking.

Remarks

Pheretima marinanaensis sp. nov. belongs to the Ph. darnleiensis species group of Sims and Easton (1972). The new species (164–197 mm) is longer than Ph. cabigati Hong and James, 2008 (98 mm), Ph. pugnatoris (75–125 mm), Ph. tabukensis (65–74 mm), Ph. margaritata (85–148 mm), Ph. thaii (60 mm), Ph. adevai (110–131 mm), Ph. lluchi (104–135 mm), P. potonganensis (63–89 mm), Ph. palawanensis sp. nov. (76–112 mm), Ph. atongensis sp. nov. (148–150 mm) and Ph. ascensa sp. nov. (129–145 mm) but shorter than Ph. barligensis (225–255 mm) and Ph. kalbaryoensis Hong and James, 2011b (210 mm) ( Table 1). Like Ph. ascensa sp. nov. (94–117), it has more segments (116–126) than all the other members of the Ph. darnleiensis group (89 in Ph. cabigati , 83–96 in Ph. margaritata , 61–102 in Ph. pugnatoris , 65–103 in Ph. tabukensis , 93 in Ph. kalbaryoensis , 81 in Ph. thaii , 83–99 in Ph. adevai , 71–104 in Ph. lluchi and 111–131 in Ph. atongensis sp. nov.). Like Ph. cabigati , Ph. adevai , Ph. potonganensis , Ph. palawanensis sp. nov., Ph. atongensis sp. nov. and Ph. ascensa sp. nov., Ph. marinanaensis sp. nov. has its first dorsal pore in 12/13. Also, like Ph. palawanensis s. nov., Ph. atongensis sp. nov. and Ph. ascensa sp. nov., the new species has more setae between male pores (7–8) and lacks a penis, in contrast to the other species. It has more setae on vii and xx (41–48, 49–57, respectively) compared with Ph. barligensis (32–38 in vii), Ph. cabigati (26, 33), Ph. pugnatoris (16–19, 34–35), Ph. tabukensis (19–20, 23–36), Ph. margaritata (24, 30), Ph. kalbaryoensis (38, 49), Ph. thaii (16, 24), Ph. adevai (36–39 in xx), Ph. lluchi (29–30 in vii), Ph. potonganensis (32–34, 28–44) and Ph. ascensa sp. nov. (38, 42).

Figures

Figure 6. Pheretima marinanaensis sp. nov. (a) External ventral view. (b) Internal dorsal view. (c) Spermathecae. Abbreviations: c, caecum; cb, copulatory bursa; fp, female pores; mp, male pores; p, prostate gland; s, spermathecae; sp, spermathecal pores; sv, seminal vesicles.