Pheretima blackbirdensis Hong & James, 2025

Pheretima blackbirdensis Hong & James sp. nov.

Fig. 3 View Figure 3

Type material.

Holotype. Philippines • 1 clitellate; Sorsogon Province, Bulusan Volcano Natural Park, at large dry crater bed called Aguinay ; 12°46.60'N, 124°04.60'E; 792 m a. s. l.; 4 May 2001; S. W. James leg.; NMA 4804 GoogleMaps .

Additional material examined.

Philippines • 2 clitellates, same data as for holotype GoogleMaps .

Type locality.

Philippines, Sorsogon Province, Bulusan Volcano Natural Park, at large dry crater bed called Aguinay ( 12°46.60'N, 124°04.60'E), 792 m a. s. l.

Diagnosis.

One pair spermathecal pores deep in 7 / 8 at 10 th setal line, equatorial unpigmented stripes, intestinal origin in XVI, spermathecae in VII, septum 8 / 9 present, all setal counts greater than 40, long muscular spermathecal ducts, seminal vesicle dorsal lobes triangular not differentiated from main vesicles.

Description.

Dorsal pigment medium purple-brown, absent from setal rings; unpigmented stripes interrupted at dorsal setal gaps. Dimensions 85 mm by 8 at segment X, 7 mm at XXX, 7.5 mm at clitellum, segments 62; body oval in cross-section. Setae numbering 52 at VII, 60 at XX, 14 between male pores, spacing greater in dorsum, setal formula AA: AB: YZ: ZZ = 3: 2.5: 12: 3.5 at XIII. Clitellum annular XIV – XVI, setae not visible externally. First dorsal pores 11 / 12. One pair of spermathecal pores deep in 7 / 8 at 10 th setal lines, sub-lateral, distance between spermathecal pores 5 mm, 0.20 circumference apart. Female pore single in XIV, openings of copulatory bursa paired in XVIII centered between 10 th – 11 th setal lines, 4 mm between openings, 0.17 circumference apart. Genital markings lacking.

Septa 5 / 6–7 / 8 thinly muscular, 8 / 9 membranous, 9 / 10 absent, 10 / 11–13 / 14 thinly muscular. Gizzard in VIII, intestine begins in XVI, paired lymph glands from XXVIII along dorsal vessel; intestinal caeca simple originating in XVII, and extending anteriorly about to XXIII, finger-shaped sac; typhlosole small from XXVII. Hearts in X – XIII esophageal, 42–44 intestinal blood vessels.

Ovaries and funnels in XIII, spermathecae one pair in VII, with nephridia on ducts, wrinkled spherical ampulla; duct very muscular, broad based bulbous cone almost as long as ampulla, diverticulum chamber broad asymmetrical oval, stalk shorter than ampulla. Several spherical spermatophores with long tails in each ampulla. Male sexual system holandric, testes and funnels in ventrally paired sacs in X – XI. Seminal vesicles two pairs in XI – XII, medium-sized with triangular dorsal lobes not distinctly marked from main vesicle, prostates in XVII – XVIII, with muscular ducts curving around posterior of copulatory bursae, entering posterior face of copulatory bursae without stalked glands; copulatory bursae openings surrounded by torus-shaped pad incompletely divided into four or five unequal wedges; penis a short cylinder with central conical protrusion bearing apical male pore.

Differential diagnosis.

Pheretima blackbirdensis sp. nov. differs from the other two new species described above, including their spermathecal morphology. Comparing the spermathecal ducts, P. sorsogonensis sp. nov. has weak muscular ducts much shorter than the ampulla, whereas P. blackbirdensis sp. nov. has ducts that are very muscular and nearly as long as the ampulla.

Remarks.

This species is intermediate in size between the other two described here but has far fewer segments (62 vs 100 or so). However, it cannot be confirmed whether the specimens had lost some segments to predators.

Etymology.

The species is named for Lake Blackbird, which is close to the type locality.