Sparganophilus oconeeae Carrera-Martinez 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Carrera-Martínez, Roberto
name: Taylor, Melanie K.
name: Jones, Daniel
name: Schoville, Sean D.
name: Snyder, Bruce A.
name: Callaham, Mac A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Clitellata
Crassiclitellata
Sparganophilidae
Sparganophilus
Sparganophilus oconeeae

description: Sparganophilus oconeeae Carrera-Martínez sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BCC9EBE6-3FCB-4EF6-B3DC-FA4F7BA795A8
Figures 5A–C
Holotype: GTIC-11493; One adult. Falling Creek, Hitchiti Experimental Forest, Jones Co., Georgia, USA. Collected from silty sediments along the creek bank, rich in organic matter, under a slope with some perennial herbs Col. R. Carrera-Martínez, M.K. Taylor. 2.MAY.2017. (33.03521°N, 083.71082°W).
Paratypes: GTIC-11498, 11499, and 11653; Three adults, same information as holotype. GTIC-11486; One adult, from sand bars of Sandy Creek, near Scull Shoals Experimental Forest, Oconee National Forest, Greene Co., Georgia, USA. Coll. R. Carrera-Martínez, M.K. Taylor, & M.A. Callaham, Jr. 18. APR.2017. (33.76915°N, 083.28407°W)
Etymology: Named after the Oconee National Forest, where all specimens of the species were collected.
Diagnosis: Length 45–65 mm. Dorsal pores absent, or if present, rudimentary. Clitellum saddle-shaped in xv– xxv, xxvi, xxvii, ventral limit in b. Tubercula pubertatis continuous in (1/n)xvii, xvii–xxii, band-shaped, ventral limit in b. Setae closely paired: ab ≈ cd, aa <bc <dd. Spermathecal pores between cd, in 6/7–8/9, small. Prostatic pores in xxiii–xxv, rarely in xxii–xxiii. Secondary annulation absent. Genital tumescences surrounding ab moderately developed in xv–xxv, variable. Band-shaped genital pad in xxv–xxvi or xxvii. Intestinal origin in ix. One pair spermathecae per segment in vii–ix, spermathecal structure moderately to well differentiated into ampulla and duct, smooth, duct tubular, three to four times as long as the globular ampulla. Prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv, rarely in xxvi, and auxiliary prostate-like glands absent. First nephridia in xiii, tubular bladder, wide u-shaped vesicle.
Description: Length of unamputated preserved specimens 45–65 mm (mean = 58.3 mm, holotype = 45 mm). Diameter in x 2.0– 2.8 mm (mean = 2.4, holotype = 2.0 mm), in clitellum, 2.5–4.0 mm (mean = 3.3 mm, holotype = 2.5 mm). Number of segments of unamputated specimens, 129–222 (mean = 189, holotype = 129). Body ovoid in cross-section anteriorly, ventrally flattened at the clitellum, quadrangular in cross-section posterior to the clitellum. Anus as a dorsal slit. Preserved specimens with a pale-yellow coloration, clitellum darker than body. Cuticle with a strong blue-green-purple iridescence. Prostomium zygolobic. Dorsal pores absent (n = 4), or when present, rudimentary and discontinuous (n = 1). Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 6/7–8/9 between cd, small. Female pores in xiv, anterior to a, minute but visible. Male pores lateral to b post-setal in xix, within tubercula pubertatis. Clitellum in xv–xxv, xxvi, xxvii saddle-shaped, ventral limit in b, not always well defined. Tubercula pubertatis continuous (1/n) xvii, xvii–xxii, band-shaped, ventral limit in b. Prostate-like pores in xxii–xxiii (n = 1) or xxiii–xxv, next to b. Nephridiopores to ab, closer to a, starting in segment xiii, very small. First setae in ii, each segment has eight setae closely paired. In x aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 4.67:1.00:5.44:1.00:9.81, in xxx = 4.78:1.00:5.33:1.00:9.70; cd not visible in clitellum. Secondary annulation absent. Genital tumescences surrounding ab in some or all of xv–xxvii, weakly or moderately developed. Genital pad band-shaped in xxv–xxvi, or xxvii, extending to b. Post-setal dark spots visible just ventral to c, in a regular line in i–xiv. Dorsal pit on the peristomium not observed.
Septa 6/7, 7/8–8/9 thickened. Pharynx ends in iv, joining a small esophagus. Intestine originates abruptly in ix. Intestinal caeca, typhlosole, calciferous glands, and gizzard absent. Paired spermathecae in vii–ix, without diverticulum. Spermathecal structure moderately to well differentiated into ampulla and duct, all similar size. Duct two to three times as long as the ampulla, conical. Ampulla globular, smooth, ovate. Duct connects to the intersegmental furrows level with the setal line cb. Spermathecae located between a weak muscular fiber originating anteriorly in the intersegmental section of the esophagus and connecting posteriorly to the intersegmental-septum joint. Ovaries in xiii, free, string-like. Oviduct connects in segment xiv, anterior to a. Testes free in x and xi. Epididymis in x and xi, iridescent. Seminal vesicles, free in xi, and xii, large, restricted to their segment. Vas deferens within muscular body wall. Tubular, prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv (n = 4) or rarely in xxii–xxiii (n = 1) large, long, highly coiled. Auxiliary prostate-like glands absent. One pair of holonephridia per segment, starting at xiii. Holonephridia of xiv attached to 13/14 septa, all similar size. Holonephridia tubular, bladder composed of highly coiled tubules dorsally, ventrally with a narrow u-shaped vesicle. A vessel is attached at the basal part of the vesicle. Paired moniliform hearts in vii–xi, all similar size. Dorsal and ventral vessel complete, and simple. Paired lateral vessel present, joining dorsal vessel in xiv, filiform.
Remarks: Sparganophilus oconeeae sp. nov. resembles S. tamesis, S. pearsei pearsei, S. wilmae Reynolds, 1980, S. muskogee sp. nov., S. jenkinsi sp. nov., and S. williamsae sp. nov. in the location and extension of the clitellum and tubercula pubertatis. Sparganophilus oconeeae differs from S. muskogee in that its prostate-like glands lack porophores and it is slightly smaller, and from the other beforementioned species in that it always lacks prostate-like glands in or after xxvi, and on the number and location of their genital tumescenses. Sparganophilus oconeeae also resembles S. pearsei libertiensis Reynolds, 1980, and S. pearsei sarasotae Reynolds, 1980, both S. pearsei subspecies have shorter clitellum [(1/n)xv, xvi–xxiii, (1/n)xxiv and xv–xxiii, respectively], more anterior intestinal origin (in viii and vii), and number and location of genital tumescenses (lacking in S. p. libertiensis, and around b on xv–xvii and xxiii–xxvi in S. p. sarasotae).
description: Published as part of Carrera-Martínez, Roberto, Taylor, Melanie K., Jones, Daniel, Schoville, Sean D., Snyder, Bruce A. & Callaham, Mac A., 2025, The unseen diversity of the semi-aquatic earthworms of the genus Sparganophilus (Oligochaeta: Sparganophilidae) from the Southeastern Appalachian Piedmont, pp. 382-409 in Zootaxa 5589 (1) on pages 391-392, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.29, http://zenodo.org/record/14897284