Sparganophilus muskogee 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 muskogee

description: Sparganophilus muskogee Carrera-Martínez sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0227E2EF-8ABB-4C7F-BE52-C3190482D292
Figures 6A–C
Holotype: GTIC-11491; One adult, Falling Creek, Hitchiti Experimental Forest, Jones Co., Georgia, USA. Collected from silty sediments on 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-11492, 11494 to 11497, 11500 to 11502, 11505, 11651, 11652; Nine adults, same information as Holotype.
Etymology: This species is named after the Mvskoke indigenous nation which inhabited the area where the type material was collected before their forced, and violent removal. Named by phonetical spelling.
Diagnosis: Length 60–80 mm. Dorsal pores absent, or if present postclitellar, rudimentary. Clitellum saddle-shaped in xv–xxvi, xxvii. Tubercula pubertatis continuous in 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, rarely only in 7/8, small. Prostatic pores in xxiii–xxv, rarely in xxvi. Secondary annulation absent or light secondary annulation in ii–xxvii. Genital tumescences surrounding ab moderately to well developed in xv–xxvi, variable. Genital markings variable, surrounding ab in any of x–xiv, between ab in 26/27, between cd in 8/9. Band-shaped genital pad in xxvii. Intestinal origin in ix. One pair of spermathecae per segment in vii–ix, rarely only in viii. 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 60–80 mm (mean = 68.3 mm, holotype> 40 mm, posterior amputee). Diameter in x 2.0– 2.5 mm (mean = 2.4 mm, holotype = 2.5 mm); in clitellum, 2.5–3.5 mm (mean = 3.3 mm, holotype = 3.0 mm). Number of segments of unamputated specimens, 165–225 (mean = 187.7, holotype> 81). 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 or pinkish. Cuticle with a strong blue-green-purple iridescence. Prostomium zygolobic. Dorsal pores absent (n = 5) or if present (n = 5), posterior to the clitellum, rudimentary and discontinuous. Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 6/7–8/9, rarely only in 7/8 (1 specimen), 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–xxvi, xxvii saddle-shaped, ventral limit in b, sometimes with a gradually fading margin. Tubercula pubertatis continuous xvii–xxii, band-shaped, ventral limit in b. Prostate-like pores in xxiii–xxv, xxvi next to b, on small porophores. Nephridiopores in 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 = 4.62:1.00:6.24:1.05:10.07, in xxx = 5.23:1.00:6.87:1.03:10.69; cd not visible in clitellum. Secondary annulation absent. Genital tumescences surrounding ab in some or all of xv–xxvi, moderately to strongly developed. Genital pad band-shaped in xxvii, extending between to setal line b. Genital markings surrounding ab in x present in three specimens, unpaired on left side of xii, xiv, and xv and paired in 26/ 27 in a single specimen. Post-setal dark spots visible just ventral to c, in a regular line in i–xiv. Dorsal pit on the peristomium not observed.
Septa 6/7–8/9 thickened. Pharynx ends in iv, joining a small esophagus. Intestine originates abruptly in ix. Intestinal caeca, typhlosole, calciferous glands, and gizzard absent. One pair spermathecae per segment in vii– ix, or rarely a single pair in viii (1 specimen), without diverticulum. Spermathecal structure moderately to well differentiated into ampulla and duct, all similar size. Duct three to four times as long as the ampulla, conical. Ampulla globular, smooth, spherical to 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 or those in xii extending into xiii. Vas deferens within muscular body wall. Tubular, prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv, large, long, highly coiled, rarely present in xxvi as well (n = 3). 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 stoma 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 muskogee sp. nov. resembles S. oconeeae sp. nov., S. jenkinsi sp. nov., and S. williamsae sp. nov. in the location and extension of the clitellum and tubercula pubertatis. However, S. muskogee has secondary annulation, lacks dorsal pores, the spermathecal duct is 3–4 times as long as the ampulla, and has the prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv. Sparganophilus muskogee further resembles S. wilmae, and S. kristinae Reynolds, 1980. Sparganophilus muskogee differs from S. wilmae on its size (60–80 and 120–135 mm, respectively), number and location of their prostate-like glands (xxiii–xxv and xxiv–xxvii), and extension of their tubercula pubertatis (xvii–xxii and xix–xxiii). The new species differs from S. kristinae on the extend and location of genital tumescences (xxiii–xxvi and xv–xxvi, respectively), presence of pre-clitellum genital markings on the new species, position of dorsal pores when present (post-clitellum vs. pre-clitellum), intestinal origin (ix and viii), and extent of the clitellum (xv–xxvi, xxvii and xiv–xxviii).
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 394-395, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.29, http://zenodo.org/record/14897284