Pheretima auroraensis Hong and James, 2025

Pheretima auroraensis Hong and James sp. n.

(Figures 2, 3(A,B))

Type material

Holotype: Clitellate ( NMA 4805 ): PHILIPPINES: Aurora, Maria Aurora National Park ( 15.6943°N, 640 m a.s.l., old second-growth forest, in soil and arboreal habitats, 13 April 2001, S. W. James coll.

Other material

Same data as for holotype, 2 clitellates.

Etymology

The species is named for its type locality, Maria Aurora .

Diagnosis One pair of spermathecal pores in 7/8 at 5 th setal lines, distance between spermathecal 1.4 mm; copulatory bursae openings 0.12 circumferences apart. Relatively few setae per segment, 26 36 at XX; 3 setae between male pores; setal rings pigmented.

Description

Dark purple dorsal pigment; setal rings pigmented dorsally, intersegmental furrows laterally; ventral side of I–VI dark fading to light posteriorly. Dimensions 59 mm by 3.5 mm at

X, 3.5 mm at XXX, 3.6 mm at clitellum, segments 92; body circular in cross section. Setae numbering at VII, 36 at XX; 3 between male pores, setae in ventral unpigmented area closely spaced, setal AA:AB:YZ:ZZ = 2.5:3:4:6 at XIII. Clitellum annular XIV–XVI; setae invisible externally.

First dorsal pores 11/12. One pair of spermathecal pores in 7/8 at 5 th setal line, large openings with slight development of wrinkled lips, distance between spermathecal pores 1.4

0.11 circumferences apart. Female pore single in XIV, 0.3 mm openings of copulatory bursae

XVIII at 6 th setal line, ventrally placed, 1.2 mm distance between openings, 0.12 circumferences Genital markings lacking.

Seta 5/6, 6/7, 7/8 thinly muscular, 8/9, 9/10 absent, 10/11–13/14 little muscle, thin. Gizzard in intestine begins in XVI, medium size, paired lymph glands from XXVII along dorsal vessel;

caeca simple originating in XXVII, extending anteriorly to about XXIII, finger-shaped sac;

simple low fold from XXVII. Hearts in X–XIII oesophageal.

Ovaries and funnels in XIII, spermathecae paired in VII, with nephridia on ducts;

ampulla irregular rounded sac, joined to narrow neck of large oval barrel-shaped muscular duct shorter than ampulla; diverticulum stalk shorter than chamber, chamber rounded oblong

HISTORY spermatozoal iridescence, diverticula pass throughout septum 7/8 into VII. Male sexual holandric, testes and funnels in large ventrally paired sacs in X–XI. Seminal vesicles two pairs in XI–XII, dorsal lobes buried in dorsal clefts; prostate gland 4–5 lobes wrapped but medial faces of copulatory bursae, muscular ducts curve around lateral side to posterior one hairpin bend to anterior, enter posterior upper part of copulatory bursae; distal section narrowed, attached to copulatory bursae. Copulatory bursae without external glands; surrounded by toroid pad partly divided into 6 wedges, penis a large block filling copulatory lumen, slit pore at apex.

Remarks

Pheretima auroraensis sp. n. belongs to the sangirensis group of Sims and Easton (1972). This composed of many unpublished species in our collections and 34 published species, of which the three are Indonesian: P. sangirensis Michaelsen , P. ceramensis Cognetti , and P. unicystis Lee. The composed of three subspecies: P. s. chica Michaelsen, P. s. crassicystis Michaelsen, and P. s. Michaelsen (Michaelsen 189611). Table 1 contains summary morphological data for the Indonesian southern Philippines species. James (2004b) discussed the taxonomic history of this group and species to it. All 10 species were from the Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Aspe and (2014, 2016, 2017) described 17 species from Mindanao and adjacent Camiguin Island. Hong and (2008) recorded two species from Mt. Makiling, Luzon Island, Philippines. Hong and James (2021)

two species from Mountain Province, northwest of the Aurora sites and separated by a large lowland Northern Philippines species of the group are summarised in Table 2 .

Given the large number of species in the sangirensis group, we filtered described and provisional preparation by us) species for those with wedge-shaped toroidal pad sets in the copulatory bursae dorsal segmental equator pigmentation, paired spermathecae in VII, and fewer than 40 setae per pre-clitellar and post-clitellar segments (see Tables 1 and 2). That excluded all known species except press from Mt. Banahaw, Quezon Province ( Quezon sp. 2 in Table 2) and Pheretima sp. 3 . The former distinguished from Pheretima auroraensis sp. n. by having a bursal pad on the roof and only 4 wedges floor, more widely spaced male and spermathecal pores, brown vs purple pigmentation, and more between male pores. Pheretima sp. 3 can be differentiated by slightly more setae in head segments (34

a bursal pad on the roof, a more anterior first dorsal pore (9/10 vs 11/12), brown pigmentation spermathecal diverticula remaining in the segment with the spermathecae.