FOUR NEW EARTHWORM GENERA (ANNELIDA: OLIGOCHAETA) FROM NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51406/jnset.v14i1.1497Keywords:
Earthworm, Imekodrilus hexagastricus, Adodrilus stephana, Parnematogenia eyinwaensis, Ekitidrilus alabataensis, Moniligastridae, Megascolecidae, OcnerodrilidaeAbstract
The taxonomy of earthworms in Nigeria has been mainly on the family Eudrilidae. The present work describes four new earthworm genera belonging to earthworm families other than the Eudrilidae. Earthworm samples were collected using the digging and hand-sorting method. The earthworms are preserved in formoacetic alcohol. The four taxa described here include Imekodrilus hexagastricus (family Moniligastridae), Adodrilus stephana (family Megascolecidae), Parnematogenia eyinwaensis and Ekitidrilus alabataensis(family Ocnerodrilidae). Imekodrilus hexagastricus from Imeko, Ogun State has six gizzards, characteristic of members of the family Moniligastridae. The genus Adodrilus is compared with 3 earthworm genera, Diporochaeta, Plutellus and Perionyx. The genus and species lacks gizzards. The calciferous glands (a pair) are present, with left and right united in segment X. Four individuals of P. eyinwaensis were collected from Eyinwa, Odogbolu Local Government Area of OgunState. The species is here described as having same position and number of calciferous glands, testes and male pores as the genus Nematogenia. Also described here is E. alabataensis, which was collected from both Ado-Ekiti and Alabata, south west Nigeria. These four genera and species are here presented as new taxa of earthworms from southwest Nigeria.
ª¤?
