Drawida yanbianensis Liu & Zhao 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liu, Min
name: Li, Jiangni
name: Zhang, Yufeng
name: Aspe, Nonillon M.
name: Wu, Donghui
name: Zhao, Huifeng
name: Zheng, Guo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Clitellata
Moniligastrida
Moniligastridae
Drawida
Drawida yanbianensis

description: Drawida yanbianensis Liu & Zhao, sp. nov.
Fig. 4
Material examined.
Holotype: • one clitellate (520 R 0_06) (COI accession number: PQ 411147), Antu County (42.5361°N, 128.2777°E, 604 m elev.), Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province, 2023-07-21, coll. Huifeng Zhao. Paratypes: • two clitellates [520 R 0_02 (COI accession number: PQ 411144), 520 R 0_08 (COI accession number: PQ 411149)], same data as of holotype.
Other specimens.
12 clitellates (518 R 0_03, 518 R 0_05 - 10, 520 R 0_01, 520 R 0_03 - 04, 520 R 0_09 - 10), Helong County (42.5717°N, 128.7817°E, 42.6 m elev.), Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province, 2023-07-21, coll. Huifeng Zhao. All the specimens of the new species have been deposited in the Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Diversity, Langfang Normal University, Hebei, China (C-HLU).
Etymology.
The specific name of the species refers to the distribution area in Northeast China.
Diagnosis.
Body grey, length 45.8–78.0 mm, diameter 2.3–2.6 mm, number of segments 91–144. Prostomium prolobous. Clitellum in X-XIV, ring-shaped. Setae: lumbricine, four pairs, existing in each segment. Spermathecal pores: one pair in 7 / 8, approximately on the setae cd line, ventro-laterally positioned, and spermathecal atrium absent. Dorsal pores absent. Genital markings: paired or unpaired, existing irregularly in segments VI-XII. Male pores: one pair, in intersegmental furrow 10 / 11, between setae b and c, near b, lip-shaped. Penis absent. Female pores: one pair slits on setae ab line of XII, near the 11 / 12 interval. Gizzards four in XII-XVII segments. Testis sacs: one pair, ivory-white present on IX-X, or elongate to XI or XII; vas deferens long coiled in IX-X, with one pair of elliptical prostate gland in X. Ovisac paired in XI-XV, palm-shaped. Four pairs of hearts in VI-IX. Spermathecae: one pair, hanging on the septum on 7 / 8, ampulla large in VIII, slightly yellowish, oval-shaped, with long coiled duct, spermathecal atrium absent.
Description.
External characters: Length 45.8–78.0 mm, diameter 2.3–2.6 mm, 91–144 segments, body grey. Prostomium prolobous. Dorsal pores absent. Setae lumbricine, 4 pairs, small dots that exist in every segment except the first, about ab = cd, aa = 1.5 bc. Clitellum within X-XIV, greyish white and ring-shaped. Genital markings either paired or unpaired irregularly in VI-XII, or absent. Spermathecal pores, paired in 7 / 8, ventral, approximately on the setae cd line. Male pores, paired in 10 / 11, between setae b and c, near b, about 0.17 body circumference apart, lip-shaped, superficial without a copulatory organ, penis absent. Female pores, paired on setae ab line of XII, near the 11 / 12 interval.
Internal characters: Hearts four pairs in VI-IX. Septa 7 / 8 / 9 relatively thick and muscular. Four gizzards in XII-XVII segments, milk-white. Testis sacs paired, ivory-white and large, each present on IX-X, or elongate to XI or XII, vas deferens long coiled in IX-X, with one pair elliptical prostate gland in X. Male atrium absent. Ovarian chamber complete, ovisacs paired, palm-shaped in XI-XV. Spermathecae paired in VII-VIII, ampulla large in VIII, slightly yellowish, oval-shaped, with long coiled duct, atrium absent. Accessory glands grape-like, stalkless, in correspondence with external genital markings.
Distribution.
Helong County (42.5717°N, 128.7817°E) and Antu County (42.5361°N, 128.2777°E), Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province, Northeast China.
Habitat.
Litter or subsoil geophage in forest soils.
Remarks.
The new species is morphologically similar to D. ghilarovi and D. ganini, which are distributed in the Russian Far East and Northeast China (Gates 1969; Ganin et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2021). They are similar in the position and number of male pores, spermathecal pores and spermathecae, prostomium, dorsal pores, and the absence of a penis. However, D. yanbianensis sp. nov. is distinguished from D. ganini and D. ghilarovi by having female pores on XII and the clitellum spanning five segments in X-XIV. The female pores of D. ganini are inconspicuous, while those of D. ghilarovi are located in the internode of 11 / 12; the position of the clitellum of D. ganini is located in X-XV, while that of D. ghilarovi is located in IX-XV. In addition, the new species (45.8–78 mm) is shorter than D. ganini (66–121 mm) and D. ghilarovi (100–142 mm) in body length. The new species have four gizzards in XII-XVII, but the position differs from that of D. ganini, which is in XII-XV, and that of D. ghilarovi, which is in XIII-XVI. The spermathecae of D. yanbianensis sp. nov. are oval-shaped with a large ampulla and a long coiled duct, while the ampulla of D. ganini is medium in size and has a less coiled duct.
The new species exhibits distinct morphological differences from the other species within the D. ghilarovi complex. Drawida yanbianensis sp. nov. lacks a penis in contrast to D. nemora, D. guryeensis, and D. ofunatoensis (Hong 2002; Blakemore et al. 2014). Drawida hattamimizu has six gizzards in XIII-XVIII, with an average length of 246 mm and a width ranging from 9 to 10 mm (Blakemore et al. 2010), which is much larger than that of the new species. Additionally, D. yanbianensis sp. nov. is approximately the same size as D. csuzdii, D. jeombongsan, and D. tairaensis, but the new species is gray in color with grayish-white clitellum, while D. csuzdii is unpigmented with reddish clitellum and D. jeombongsan is light blue with unclear clitellum (Blakemore et al. 2014). Moreover, the new species is characterized by its grey coloration and a width ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 mm. In contrast, D. tairaensis exhibits flesh or pinkish coloration (Blakemore et al. 2014) and has a narrower (up to 2.7 mm) width than the new species.
description: Published as part of Liu, Min, Li, Jiangni, Zhang, Yufeng, Aspe, Nonillon M., Wu, Donghui, Zhao, Huifeng & Zheng, Guo, 2025, A new species of the Drawida ghilarovi species complex (Oligochaeta, Moniligastridae) in Changbai Mountain, Northeast China, pp. 627-641 in Zoosystematics and Evolution 101 (2) on pages 627-641, DOI: 10.3897/zse.101.146587