Electronic Supplement 11
| |
Organisms
Diversity & Evolution 3 (2003) Electronic Supplement 11 |
|
Robert J. Blakemore:
Japanese earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta):
a review and checklist of species.
print version: Org. Divers. Evol. 3(3): 241-244. 2003 (abstract +
nomenclatural actions)
electr. suppl.: full article. pdf-format, 589 KB
Abstract:
The current revision provisionally lists 77 valid
earthworm taxa in seven families from Japan, with approximately 80 further
names (ca. 50% of the total) either in synonymy - including 73 new synonyms -
or retained as species incertae sedis. Generic placement of the species yielded
17 new combinations. About 30 species are known introductions and another ten
are possibly more widespread, thus the probable number of wholly endemic
Japanese earthworms is around 40 species (ca. 50% of the total valid species).
However, a definitive work on the systematics of Japan's earthworms is pending,
and the current revision aims only to provide a status quo and to track changes
from the last comprehensive revision by Easton (1981) that listed 74 taxa.
Subsequently, 60 or so new pheretimoid names were added by Ishizuka in
1999-2001, but only a few are considered valid taxa, the remainder being
synonyms or species incertae sedis. The substitute name 'Pheretima'
palarva, nom. nov., is provided for the junior homonym Pheretima
parvula Ishizuka et al., 2000. While much of Easton's synopsis is
supported, Pontodrilus is now placed in Megascolecidae sensu Blakemore
(2000) rather than Acanthodrilidae sensu Gates (1959); Amynthas carnosus
(Goto & Hatai, 1899) is removed from synonymy with Amynthas
gracilis; and an informal Amynthas corticis species-complex is
established to accommodate the various morphs of this widely distributed
species group. Pheretima (Parapheretima) koellikeri Michaelsen, 1928 is
considered synonymous with Metaphire vesiculata (Goto & Hatai,
1899), thereby removing the genus Pheretima sensu stricto from the
Japanese list. Polypheretima is also removed from Japanese indigeny, as
the original description of Polypheretima iizukai (Goto & Hatai,
1899) failed to report intestinal caeca, and inspection of fresh material
allows its placement in synonymy with Amynthas fuscatus (Goto &
Hatai, 1898). Easton (1981) had listed this taxon as Metaphire fuscata,
but further demonstration of superficial male pores qualifies it for
Amynthas. Conversely, the discovery of copulatory pouches results in
transfer from Amynthas to Metaphire for M. hilgendorfi
(Michaelsen, 1892), comb. nov., Metaphire communissima (Goto &
Hatai, 1898), comb. nov., and Metaphire megascolidioides (Goto &
Hatai, 1899), comb. nov. The Metaphire hilgendorfi / Amynthas tokioensis
species-complex (Amynthas hilgendorfi species-complex sensu Easton 1981)
remains one of the most intractable and pressing problems for comprehension of
the Japanese fauna, as most of the component taxa, e.g. Metaphire
agrestis (Goto & Hatai, 1899), are parthenogenetically degraded morphs
as yet unaffiliated with their ancestral and biparental populations. Resolution
may be sought employing combinations of morphological and molecular (RNA, DNA)
techniques to determine specific affinities while also complying with
requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999).
Key words: taxonomy, Pheretima, Metaphire hilgendorfi,
Amynthas tokioensis, A. corticis species-complex, parthenogenetic
polymorphism
 |