Amynthas lilis Shen & Csuzdi & Chang 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Shen, Huei-Ping
name: Csuzdi, Csaba
name: Chang, Chih-Han
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Annelida
Clitellata
Crassiclitellata
Megascolecidae
Amynthas
Amynthas lilis

description: Amynthas lilis Shen sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 89141457-A609-429E-9BF5-4054AE69066A
Fig. 5
Amynthas corticis – James et al. 2005: 1023 (partim).
Diagnosis
Length (clitellates) 70–85 mm. Segments numbering 74–98. Setae 36–51 in VII, 50–57 in XX, 12–13 between male pores. First dorsal pore in 11/12 or 13/14. Clitellum XIV–XVI. Spermathecal pores four pairs in 5/6–8/9, 0.28–0.30 body circumference ventrally apart. Male pores 0.27–0.31 body circumference ventrally apart in XVIII. Genital papillae small, mid-ventral, 0–5 presetal papillae in a row and 0–3 postsetal papillae in a row on each segment of VII–IX and XVII–XX. Spermathecae four pairs in VI–IX. Seminal vesicles large, two pairs in XI and XII, each occupying 1.5–2 segments. Prostate glands lobed, occupying 3–4 segments in XVI–XX. Prostatic ducts C-shaped in XVIII. Accessory glands stalked.
Etymology
The species is named after the nearby Lili Creek in Chunrih, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
Type material
Holotype
TAIWAN • clitellate (mature) specimen; Nanhe, Chunrih, Pingtung County; 22°26′33″ N, 120°39′03″ E; 133 m a.s.l.; 19 Aug. 1999; Chung-Chi Hwang and Jin-Kuan Yang leg.; NMNS-8595-003.
Paratypes
TAIWAN • 5 clitellates; same data as for holotype; NMNS 4054-034.
Description
Length (mature) 70–85 mm. Number of segments 74–98. Setae regularly distributed around segmental equators, size and distance regular, numbering 36–51 in VII, 50–57 in XX, 13–14 between spermathecal pores, 12–13 between male pores in XVIII. Prostomium epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12 or 13/14. Clitellum XIV–XVI, smooth, setae and dorsal pores absent, length 2.7–3.3 mm and width 4.1–5.7 mm. Spermathecal pores four pairs in 5/6–8/9, paired pores 0.28–0.30 body circumference ventrally apart. Genital papillae small, mid-ventral in VII–IX, number highly variable. In VII, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0–2 postsetal papillae in a row; in VIII, 1–5 presetal papillae in a row and 0–2 postsetal papillae in a row; in IX, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0–3 postsetal papillae in a row; an additional presetal papilla in VI for holotype (Fig. 5A). Each papilla about 0.3 mm in diameter. Female pore single, mid-ventral in XIV.
Male pores paired, ventro-lateral in XVIII, paired pores 0.27–0.31 body circumference ventrally apart, each porophore surrounded by one or two shallow circular folds. Genital papillae small, mid-ventral, often in XVII–XX, number and arrangement highly variable. In XVII, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0–2 postsetal papillae in a row; in XVIII, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0–2 postsetal papillae in a row; in XIX, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0 or 1 postsetal papilla; in XX, 0–3 presetal papillae in a row and 0 or 1 postsetal papilla; additional papillae present in XXI–XXV and XXVII–XXVIII for holotype (Fig. 5B). Each papilla 0.3–0.4 mm in diameter. Preserved specimens brown and dark brown on clitellum.
Septa 5/6–7/8 thickened, 8/9/10 absent, 10/11–13/14 thickened. Nephridial tufts on anterior faces of 5/6/7. Gizzard in VIII–X. Intestine enlarged from XV. Intestinal caeca paired in XXVII, simple, bent, extending anteriorly to XXII or XXI. Esophageal hearts paired in XI–XIII.
Spermathecae four pairs in VI–IX. Ampulla peach- or elongated oval-shaped, surface wrinkled, 0.9– 2.1 mm in length and 0.8–1.6 mm in width, with a short, stout stalk 0.3–0.5 mm long. Diverticulum with a large, round or oval, iridescent seminal chamber 0.5–1.1 mm in length and a slender stalk 0.5–0.9 mm in length (Fig. 5C). Accessory glands stalked, 0.4–0.6 mm in total length, each corresponding to external genital papilla. In addition, one or two stalked glands near each spermathecal pore, 0.4–0.6 mm in total length. Ovaries paired in XIII.
Holandric. Testes oval, two pairs in ventrally joined sacs in X and XI. Seminal vesicles large, two pairs in XI and XII, each vesicle occupying 1.5–2 segments, each with a large, round dorsal lobe. Prostate glands paired in XVI–XIX, XVII–XIX or XVII–XX, lobed, wrinkled. Prostatic ducts C-shaped in XVIII, distal end enlarged (Fig. 5D). Accessory glands stalked, 0.6–0.8 mm in total length, each corresponding to external genital papilla.
Distribution
Known only from type locality (Chunrih, Pingtung County, Taiwan).
Remarks
The character of a longitudinal series of genital papillae on the mid-ventral line in A. lilis sp. nov. sets it apart from A. corticis. This papilla arrangement is akin to that of A. catenus Tsai, Shen & Tsai, 2001 from elevations of 2200–3000 m, central Taiwan (Tsai et al. 2001; Shen et al. 2019). However, A. catenus is a parthenogen with spermathecae from absence to three pairs in VI–VIII, small, vestigial seminal vesicles, and prostate glands from absence to large in XVI–XX (Tsai et al. 2001). No sperm was found and spermatozoal iridescence was not observed in any of the spermathecae examined for A. catenus (Shen et al. 2011, 2012).
description: Published as part of Shen, Huei-Ping, Csuzdi, Csaba & Chang, Chih-Han, 2025, A re-examination of the pheretimoid earthworms reported in James et al. (2005), false synonymy between Drawida barwelli (Beddard, 1886) and Drawida beddardi (Rosa, 1890) and comments on recent publications on East and Southeast Asian earthworms, pp. 52-75 in European Journal of Taxonomy 981 (1) on pages 67-69, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2025.981.2817, http://zenodo.org/record/15019396