Herbettodrilus bahli, Julka, J. M., Blanchart, Eric & Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie, 2004

Julka, J. M., Blanchart, Eric & Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie, 2004, New genera and new species of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Octochaetidae) from Western Ghats, South India, Zootaxa 486, pp. 1-27 : 15-16

Herbettodrilus bahli sp. nov.

Type material: INDIA: Karnataka: Holotype ( HAZFS /ZSI An801), clitellate, near Herbettu [13°55'N 74°46'E], 700m, forest, October 1991 (E. Blanchart).

Diagnosis. Spermathecal pores paired, about equidistant from setal arc and furrow 7/8 on 8 slightly lateral to a lines, just anterior to setal arc on 9 at about mid ab; female pores paired; genital markings absent; intestine begins in 18; last pair of hearts in 13; holandric, seminal vesicles in 9 and 12; penial and copulatory setae present.

Description. Length 174 mm, diameter 4.5 mm, 198 segments. Prostomium prolobic. First dorsal pore at 7/8. Clitellum annular, 13–1/3 17. Setae lumbricine, aa = 4.3 ab = 1.4 bc = 2.2 cd = 0.25 dd on 12, aa = 5 ab = 1.6 bc = 2.3 cd = 0.25 dd on 24; a, b on 8 and 9 copulatory. Male pores paired, minute, in seminal grooves, slightly lateral to a lines, on 18; prostatic pores paired, minute, at ends of seminal grooves on 17 and 19, at a lines; seminal grooves somewhat concave with ends slightly bent laterally. Female pores minute, paired, presetal, on 14, within a lines. Spermathecal pores paired, minute, about equidistant from setal arc and furrow 7/8 on 8, slightly lateral to a lines, just anterior to setal arc on 9 at about mid ab ( Fig. 20 ). Genital markings absent. Nephridiopores not recognised.

Unpigmented. Septa 5/6 slightly muscular, 6/7–12/13 muscular. Gizzard large, in 5. Calciferous glands discrete, extramural, paired, each gland bilobed, one lobe in 15 and the other in 16, both discharging into oesophagus through a common duct in 15 just posterior to attachment of septum 14/15, Intestine begins in 18; intestinal caeca and supra­intestinal glands absent; typhlosole simple, lamelliform, 31 to 124 (94 segments). Dorsal blood vessel single, complete; supra­oesophageal vessel single, 8–13; extra­oesophageal vessels paired, recognised in 5, passing to ventral surface of oesophagus in 7; latero­parietal vessels paired, joining supra­oesophageal vessel in 13; subneural vessel absent; lateral hearts originating from supra­oesophageal vessel with delicate connectives to dorsal vessel in 10–13. Holandric, testes and male funnels paired, free, in 10 and 11; seminal vesicles in 9 and 12. Prostates tubular, paired, in 17 and 19; ducts looped. Penial setae ( Fig. 21 ) ornamented with widely spaced, tiny spines, tip pointed and slightly excavated on one side, 1.67 mm long, 19 diameter. Spermathecae ( Fig. 22 ) paired, in 8 and 9, each with a pair of small sessile, spheroidal to oval, ental diverticula; duct about one fifth the length of somewhat tubular ampulla. Copulatory setae ( Fig. 23 ) ornamented with longitudinal rows of gouges, tip claw­shaped, 0.79 mm long, 25 diameter. Micromeronephridia astomate, paired tufts in 3 discharging into buccal cavity through composite ducts, 8–10 exonephric on body wall in 4 and posteriad segments; stomate megameronephridia paired, in 15 and posteriad segments, funnels close to nerve cord, ducts extending laterally to mid­dorsal line to discharge into a pair of excretory canals that open into posterior part of rectum.

Reproduction. Presumably biparental.

Ingesta. Fine mineral soil, bits of leaves, roots and bark, and tiny seeds.

Ecological data. H. bahli is found only in forests with following soil properties: OM content 6.6 g 100g­1 soil, C/N 11.5, proportion of gravels (> 2 mm) 36%, clay content 50%, pH (water) 5.7, cations 6.9 cmol kg­1 soil, CEC 18.9 cmol kg­1 soil.

Ecological category. The composition of intestinal ingest suggests that H. bahli may be anecic.

Etymology. H. bahli is named after Prof. K.N. Bahl, an eminent authority on the excretory system of earthworms.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 23. Shimodrilus bhatkalensis sp. nov. (13 – 16): 13, genital region; 14, penial seta; 15, spermatheca; 16, copulatory seta. Shimodrilus karniensis sp. nov. (17 – 19): 17, genital region; 18, penial seta; 19, spermatheca. Herbettodrilus bahli sp. nov. (20 – 23): 20, genital region; 21, penial seta; 22, spermatheca; 23, copulatory seta. Scale bar 4.0 mm (17, 20), 2.5 mm (13), 1.5 mm (19, 22), 0.5 mm (15), 0.1 mm (21, 23), 0.05 mm (14, 16, 18).