Metaphire bahli ( Gates, 1945 )

Nguyen, Tung T., Trinh, Kim-Binh T., Nguyen, Hong-Lan T. & Nguyen, Anh D., 2017, Earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta) from islands of Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species and one subspecies, Journal of Natural History 51 (15 - 16), pp. 883-915 : 894-896

Metaphire bahli ( Gates, 1945)

( Figure 8 )

Pheretima bahli Gates, 1945: 85 .

Metaphire bahli – Sims & Easton 1972: 239, Blakemore 2016: 11, 22, figs 1, 9A–D, 10.

Material examined

114 matures (CTU-EW 004.07) Hon Tre Island ( 09°58 ʹ 11 ʹʹ N, 104°50 ʹ 9.4 ʹʹ E), Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province, 16 October 2014; 132 matures (CTU-EW 004.08) Lai Son Island ( 09° 47 ʹ 57.6 ʹʹ N, 104°37 ʹ 24.5 ʹʹ E), Kien Hai District , Kien Giang Province, 15 November 2013; 10 matures (CTU-EW 004.09) An Son Island ( 09°41 ʹ 11.8 ʹʹ N, 104°21 ʹ 10.1 ʹʹ E), Kien Hai District , Kien Giang Province, 13 October 2014, all coll . Kim-Binh T. Trinh.

Diagnosis

Medium size, length 58–100 mm, diameter 3.3–4.4 mm, segments 53–114. Prostomium 2/3 epilobous. First dorsal pore in 12/13. Setal number 39–47 in viii, 40–72 in xxx, 4–5 between male porophores in xviii; setal distance aa = 1.7–2.0 ab, zz = 1.6–2.0 zy. Three pairs of spermathecal pores in lateroventral intersegments 6/7/8/9. Male pores located inside copulatory pouches in xviii. Male region strongly concave to form an ellipsoidshaped or rounded area. Genital markings absent in spermathecal region, but two pairs in 17/18 and 18/19, in line with male pores. Testis sacs separated. Holandric. Intestinal caeca simple. Septa 8/9/10 absent.

Habitats

The species was found in natural forests, fruit plantations and house gardens in the Hon Tre and Lai Son islands.

Remarks

The species is widely distributed in Vietnam ( Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, An Giang) ( Nguyen et al. 2016) . It also occurs in Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Laos and Cambodia ( Nguyen et al. 2016).

Figures

Figure 8. Metaphire bahli (Gates, 1945). (a, f) Male region (mp = male pore, gm = genital markings); (b, i) ventral view of spermathecal region (sp = spermathecal pore); (c, l) spermathecae (amp = ampulla, dv = diverticulum); (d, k) prostatic gland (ag = accessory gland); (e, j) intestinal caecum; (g) copulatory pouch, transverse body section; (h) accessory gland, transverse body section. Scale bar = 1 mm.