Narayanan S Prasanth, Thomas A P, Julka J M
Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development; Mahatma Gandhi University; Priyadarsini Hills; Kot- tayam-686560; Kerala; India.
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Basic Sciences; Shoolini University; Solan-173212; Himachal Pradesh; India.
Zootaxa. 2025 Jan 28;5575(4):520-534. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5575.4.2.
A new megascolecid earthworm genus, Aiyeriella Narayanan & Julka gen. nov., is established from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot of India, with two new species, namely, A. quadritheca Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov., and A. longiprostata Narayanan & Julka, sp. nov. Material of the new genus and species were collected from the three southernmost districts of Kerala state, in the south-western portion of peninsular India. The present new genus can be distinguished from other related Indomalayan megascolecid genera by the presence of combined male and prostatic pores paired in seminal grooves on segment 18, with a single well-developed oesophageal gizzard in segment 5, penial setae, calciferous glands, intestinal caeca, and typhlosole absent, meronephric throughout the body, 10-14 in transverse bands of micromeronephridia behind clitellum and prostates tubuloracemose, paired, elongated, and strap-shaped.
一个新的巨蚓科蚯蚓属，艾耶里亚蚓属（Aiyeriella Narayanan & Julka 属），是从印度西高止山脉生物多样性热点地区建立的，包含两个新物种，即四槽艾耶里亚蚓（A. quadritheca Narayanan & Julka，新种）和长前列腺艾耶里亚蚓（A. longiprostata Narayanan & Julka，新种）。新属和新种的样本采自印度半岛西南部喀拉拉邦最南端的三个地区。该新属可通过以下特征与其他相关的东洋巨蚓科属区分开来：第18节的精沟中有成对的雄性孔和前列腺孔，第5节有单个发育良好的食管砂囊，阴茎刚毛、含钙腺、肠盲囊和盲道缺失，全身为中肾，环带后微肾管横向带中有10 - 14条，前列腺呈管状、成对、细长且呈带状。
