Sparganophilus carveri 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 carveri

description: Sparganophilus carveri Carrera-Martínez sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A34569C7-4BD6-401D-B103-FC80334E8040
Figures 6D–F
Holotype: GTIC-11503; 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 (33.03521°N, 083.71082°W). Col. R. Carrera-Martínez, M.K. Taylor. 2.MAY.2017.
Paratype: GTIC-11504; One adult, collected with holotype.
Etymology: This species is named after George Washington Carver (1864–1943),African-American agricultural researcher and educator who promoted sustainable agricultural practices, preventing soil degradation.
Diagnosis: Length> 55 mm. Dorsal pores absent. Clitellum saddle-shaped in xv–xxv, ventral limit dorsal to b. Tubercula pubertatis continuous in xviii–xxi, xxii, band-shaped, ventral limit dorsal to setae line b. Setae closely paired: ab = cd, aa = bc, aa <dd. Spermathecal pores between cd, in 6/7–8/9, inconspicuous. Prostatic pores in xxiii–xxv. Secondary annulation absent. Genital tumescences surrounding ab weakly developed in xv–xxii. Intestinal origin in ix. Paired spermathecae in vii–ix, spermathecal structure well differentiated into ampulla and duct, smooth, duct conical, as long as the spherical ampulla. Prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv and auxiliary prostate-like glands absent. First nephridia in xiii, tubular bladder, wide u-shaped vesicle.
Description: Length of holotype> 55 mm (> 13mm on paratype; both specimens are posteriorly amputated). Diameter in x of holotype 2.0 mm, of paratype, 2.5 mm; in clitellum of holotype 3.5 mm, of paratype, 2.8 mm. Number of segments of holotype>110 (>30 on paratype). Body ovoid in cross-section anteriorly, ventrally flattened at the clitellum, quadrangular in cross-section posterior to the clitellum. Preserved specimens with a pale-yellow coloration, clitellum pink. Cuticle with a strong blue-green iridescence. Prostomium zygolobic. Dorsal pores absent. Spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 6/7–8/9 between cd, inconspicuous. Female pores in xiv, anterior to a, minute but visible. Male pores lateral to b equatorial, at the dorsal margin of the tubercula pubertatis in xxi. Clitellum in xv–xxv saddle-shaped, ventral limit dorsal to b. Tubercula pubertatis continuous xviii–xxi, band-shaped, ventral limit dorsal to setae line b. Prostate-like pores in xxiii–xxv next to b, inconspicuous. Nephridiopores in each segment anterior 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 = 5.00:1.00:5.75:1.00:9.50, in xxx = 5.00:1.00:6.25:1.00:9.50; cd not visible in clitellum. Secondary annulation absent. Genital tumescences surrounding ab in some or all of xv–xxii, weakly developed. Genital pad absent. Post-setal dark spots visible at the mid-lateral line, in a regular line in i–xiv. Dorsal pit on the peristomium not observed.
Septa 5/6–8/9 slightly thickened. Pharynx ends in iv, joining a small esophagus. Intestine originates abruptly in ix. Intestinal caeca, typhlosole, calciferous glands, and gizzard absent. One pair of spermathecae per segment in vii–ix, without diverticulum. Spermathecal structure well differentiated into ampulla and duct, all similar size. Duct about as long as or slightly longer than the ampulla, conical, very thin at the ampulla junction. Ampulla globular, smooth, spherical. Duct connects to the intersegmental furrows level with the setal line cb. Spermathecae located between a weak muscular fiber originated 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, large, iridescent. Seminal vesicles, free, small in x, large and restricted to their segment in xi, and xii. Vas deferens within muscular body wall. Tubular, prostate-like glands in xxiii–xxv, small, delicate. 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 wide u-shaped vesicle, longer than the bladder. Stoma not observed. 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 carveri sp. nov. superficially resembles S. pearsei and its subspecies, S. oconeeae sp. nov., S.muskogee sp. nov., S. jenkinsi sp. nov. and S. williamsae sp. nov., but S. carveri has a shorter clitellum (in xv–xxv), male pores in xxi, and tubercula pubertatis ending in xxi or xxii. Sparganophilus carveri is the one of two known species to have male pores in xxi, the second being Sparganophilus sp 09 described below.
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 396-397, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.29, http://zenodo.org/record/14897284