Pheretima multicamera, 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 : 755-757

Pheretima multicamera sp. nov.

( Figure 8 )

Material examined

Holotype: adult ( WPU-A010 ), on the ridge of 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-A 011), same collection data as for holotype.

Etymology

Multi: many; camera: chamber. The species name refers to the two or three chambers of the spermathecal diverticula.

Diagnosis

Brown worm with adult length 175–215 mm, diameter 5–7 mm; 94–110 segments; four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9; 40–44 setae on vii, 45–53 setae on xx; 8–10 setae between male pores; spermathecal pores 0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally; male openings 0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally; genital markings lacking; spermathecal diverticula with 2–3 lobes of receptacles and terminating in ovate receptacle; prostates small in xvi–xviii; penis lacking.

Description

Brown, equators unpigmented. Length 175–215 mm (n = 3 adults); diameter 5–7 mm at x, 6 mm at xx; body circular in cross section, tail tapering; 94–110 segments. First dorsal pore at 12/13, four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9, spermathecal pores 3.5–4 mm (0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally). Female pore single in xiv, openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, distance between openings 3.5–4 mm (0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally), 8–10 setae between openings. Clitellum annular, from xiv to xvi, brown. Setae unevenly distributed around equators in some segments; 40–44 setae on vii, 45–53 setae on xx, dorsal setal gaps present, ventral setal gaps lacking. Genital markings lacking. Septa 5/6–7/8 membranous, 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. Large gizzard in viii–x, oesophagus with low vertical lamellae x–xiii, intestinal origin in xiv; caeca simple, originating in xxvii, extending forward to xxi. Hearts in x–xiii, oesophageal; commissural vessels in vi, vii and ix lateral.

Ovaries and funnels free in xiii. Spermathecae paired in vi–ix, with many nephridia on ducts. Each spermatheca with ovate ampulla; short, bulbous, muscular duct; single stalked diverticulum attached to the ental portion of the spermatheca; 2–3 lobes of receptacles attached along the short stalk and terminating in ovate 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 mid-posterior surface of copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae round, small in xviii; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; penis lacking.

Remarks

Pheretima multicamera sp. nov. belongs to the Ph. darnleiensis species group of Sims and Easton (1972). The new species is relatively similar in size to Ph. darnleiensis , Ph. kalbaryoensis , Ph. atongensis sp. nov. and Ph. marinanaensis sp. nov. ( Table 1). It is also similar to Ph. darnleiensis and Ph. atongensis sp. nov. in the distance between spermathecal pores (0.19–- 0.20) and the distance between male pores (0.18–0.25). However, Ph. darnleiensis has relatively fewer setae between male pores (4–8), has relatively fewer setae on vii (12–35) and xx (38–45), has a penis, and has ectal spermathecal diverticula; Ph. kalbaryoensis has more space between spermathecal pores (0.23) and less space between male pores (0.17), and has a penis; Ph. atongensis sp. nov. has relatively more setae on vii (50–60) and xx (60–62), has shorter caeca (xxvii–xxv), and has ectal spermathecal diverticula; and Ph. marinanaensis sp. nov. has more segments (116–126), and has more space between spermathecal pores (0.24–0.25) and between male pores (0.25–0.29). Another difference between Ph. multicamera sp. nov. and other Palawan species is its spermathecal diverticula, which has several receptacles attached to it. The Pheretima species from Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, that Blakemore et al. (2007) described as Ph. darnleiensis has this feature. However, that species has a penis and is significantly larger (305–385 mm), has significantly more segments (80) and has more setae on its segments (60–70) compared with the new species.

Figures

Figure 8. Pheretima multicamera 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.