Ren Jiuzhuolin, Liu Yiting, Zhang Shilin, Zheng Chengli, Tan Youli, Peng Cheng, Gao Jihai, Hou Feixia
State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
Sichuan Institute of Musk Deer Breeding, Chengdu 611845, China.
Zoolog Sci. 2025 Apr;42(2):206-218. doi: 10.2108/zs240010.
Based on morphological and molecular evidence, three new earthworm species of the genera Kinberg, 1867 and Sims and Easton, 1972 from Leshan City of southwest China's Sichuan Province were identified in this study. They are named sp. nov., sp. nov., and sp. nov. All three new species have a large size (the dimensions of the adult body are more than 200 mm × 10 mm) and three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7-8/9. Although these three new species are morphologically somewhat similar to the other species in the same group, they are distinguishable in several morphological characteristics. sp. nov. has paired and bunchy ovaries that are attached to septa 12/13. sp. nov. has large and well-developed prostate glands, and each of its seminal vesicles has a dorsal lobe. sp. nov. has accessory glands in spermathecae, prostate, and intestinal caeca regions. The maximum likelihood tree was constructed based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, and it showed that the three new species are clustered on different branches. Besides, phylogenetic trees also suggested that the genera and did not evolve separately within their respective taxa and thus were not monophyletic. This study provides a detailed taxonomic characterization of three new species and helps to better understand the species diversity of earthworms, which is urgently needed to ensure the ecological stability of wild earthworms.
