Three new species and a new record of pheretimoid earthworms (Crassiclitellata, Megascolecidae) from Misamis Oriental, Philippines, with data from the mitochondrial genome

By

Aspe, Nonillon M.
Zhao, Huifeng
Mapile, Maria Reynalen F.
Obusan, Maria Christine M.
Zhang, Yufeng
Castañares, Edgar
Florida, Eric John D.
Wu, Donghui

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-2-21

Original Publication

Zoosystematics and evolution

Volume

101

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

389--404

Subjects

mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , mitochondrial genome , new species , pheretimoid earthworms , Philippines

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.135702

 

Abstract

We describe three new species of pheretimoid earthworms from Misamis Oriental, Mindanao Island, Philippines. One species is Polypheretima andresisp. nov., belonging to the Polypheretima elongata group of Easton (1979), characterized by having a pair of genital markings in xix, successive segments in line with the male pores, paired batteries of up to 28 spermathecae in vi and/or vii, and shallow copulatory bursae. Two species belong to Pheretima, namely Pheretima elnorroaesp. nov. of the Pheretima sangirensis species group of Sims and Easton (1972), characterized by having a pair of spermathecal pores in the intersegmental furrow of 7/8, and Pheretima naawanensis sp. nov. of the Pheretima dubia species group of Sims and Easton (1972), characterized by having three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9. Furthermore, for the first time, Metaphire bahli has been recorded on Mindanao Island. The mitochondrial genomes of the four species are provided, which included 13 protein-coding genes. A phylogenetic analysis is performed, and the taxonomic status of the four species is supported. The newly described species confirms the diverse assemblage of earthworms in the Philippines and highlights the need for extensive surveys of earthworms and investigating them for potential uses and applications.