Pheretima brookespointensis, 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 : 753-754

Pheretima brookespointensis sp. nov.

( Figure 7 )

Material examined

Holotype: adult ( MSUN-A007 ), 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 (MSUN- A008), same collection data as for holotype.

Etymology

The species is named after the municipality of Brooke’s Point , Palawan, the type locality .

Diagnosis

Brown worm with adult length 100–110 mm, diameter 2.5–3 mm; 74–93 segments; four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9; 34–39 setae on vii, 31–35 setae on xx; 6 setae between male pores; spermathecal pores 0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally; male openings 0.16–0.21 circumference apart ventrally; genital markings lacking; prostates small in xvi–xviii; penis lacking.

Description

Brown, equators unpigmented. Length 100–110 mm (n = 2 adults); diameter 2.5–3 mm at x, 3 mm at xx; body circular in cross section, tail tapering; 74–93 segments. First dorsal pore at 12/13, four pairs of spermathecal pores at 5/6–8/9, spermathecal pores 1.5–2 mm (0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally). Female pore single in xiv, openings of copulatory bursae paired in xviii, distance between openings 2 mm (0.16–0.21 circumference apart ventrally), 6 setae between openings. Clitellum annular, from xiv to xvi. Setae unevenly distributed around equators in some segments; 34–39 setae on vii, 31–35 setae on xx, dorsal setal gaps present, ventral setal gaps lacking. 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 xxvii, extending forward to xxiii. 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 to pyriform ampulla; short, bulbous, muscular duct; single stalked diverticulum attached to the ental portion of the spermatheca; stalk short, 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 copulatory bursa. Copulatory bursae round, small in xviii; coelomic surfaces muscular, secretory diverticula lacking; penis lacking.

Remarks

Pheretima brookespointensis sp. nov. belongs to the Ph. darnleiensis species group of Sims and Easton (1972). Among the members of the Ph. darnleiensis group, the new species is relatively similar in length to Ph. darnleiensis (75–170 mm), Ph. cabigati (98 mm), Ph. margaritata (85–148 mm), Ph. pugnatoris (75–125 mm), Ph. adevai (110–131 mm), Ph. lluchi (104–135 mm) and Ph. palawanensis sp. nov. (76–112 mm) ( Table 1). However, Ph. brookespointensis sp. nov. has a relatively thinner body than these species (3.7–4 mm in P. cabigati , 3–3.7 mm in Ph. margaritata , 4.5–5 mm in Ph. pugnatoris , 4–5 mm in Ph. adevai , 4–4.5 mm in Ph. lluchi and 4.5–5 mm in Ph. palawanensis sp. nov.). Like Ph. cabigati , Ph. adevai and Ph. palawanensis sp. nov., Ph. brookespointensis sp. nov. has its first dorsal pore in 12/13, in contrast to other species. Also, Ph. palawanensis sp. nov. and Ph. brookespointensis sp. nov. lack a penis. The spermathecal pores are more widely spaced in Ph. cabigati (0.3 circumference apart ventrally), Ph. margaritata (0.26 circumference apart ventrally) and Ph. pugnatoris (0.- 26–0.29 circumference apart ventrally) compared with Ph. brookespointensis (0.19–0.21 circumference apart ventrally), while the male pores are more widely spaced in Ph. cabigati (0.22 circumference apart ventrally) and Ph. margaritata (0.26 circumference apart ventrally) than in the new species (0.16–0.21 circumference apart ventrally). Pheretima brookespointensis sp. nov. has more setae on vii (34–39) than in Ph. cabigati (26), Ph. margaritata (24), and Ph. pugnatoris (16–19) but fewer than in Ph. palawanensis sp. nov. (48–51). In addition, Ph. brookespointensis sp. nov. has fewer setae on xx (31–35) than in Ph. darnleiensis (38–45), Ph. lluchi (39–45) and Ph. palawanensis sp. nov. (50–55).

Figures

Figure 7. Pheretima brookespointensis 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.