Type material. Holotype (H) Mt. Bunagadake (highest peak in the Hira Mts.), Hirotani valley (type locality), Kitahira, Shiga-cho (now Kitahira, Otsu-shi), Shiga-ken, Japan, ca.
35°15’N, 135°53’E, elev. 990 m, 26. IX. 1993, leg. Shigekazu Uchida; mature specimen sketched, dissected and donor for DNA tissue sample: LBM1390000091. Paratype: (P) Yoichitani valley, Kase,
Kutsuki-mura (now Kutsuki-Kase, Takashima-shi), Shiga-ken, Japan, elev. 470 m, 22. V. 1996, leg. S. Uchida; mature, dissected: LBM1380000092.
Additional material examined. One specimen (S), same collection data as P; an undissected, aclitellate, sub-adult: LBM1380000093.
Etymology. Japanese noun-phrase in apposition meaning from the mountain(s).
Diagnosis. Pheretimoid with spermathecal pores in 7/8/9, superficial male pores on 18, manicate caeca and no markings except for flat dishes around (infolded) male field.
External features. Body robust, rounded with much secondary annulation (not shown in figure), tapering to posterior. Numerous gregarine parasitic cysts visible through cuticle.
Pigmentation dark but setal arcs paler giving slight striped appearance, also preservative (EtOH?) stained yellow-brown with the distinctive ‘wormy’ odour typical for such specimesn. Size 150
by ca. 6-8 mm (H and P), 130 mm (S). Segments 129 (H), 112 (P). Setae 60-70 on 12 (H). Prostomium open epilobous. First dorsal pore 12/13. Spermathecal pores widely paired (ca. 0.4U apart) in
7/8.9. Clitellum 14-16. Female pore central in 14. Male pores opposed in deeply infolded longitudinal trough, each in centre of large elongate or circular dish (in H). Trough not so
pronounced in P and not manifest in S. The actual pores although opposed are wide apart (ca. 0.4U) and slightly gaping, but are classifiable as superficial.
Internal anatomy. Pharyngeal mass pronounced in 4. Septa around gizzard aborted (seemingly 9/10/11 in H or 8/9/10 in P). My notes do not clarify whther last hearts are in 12 or 13,
but typically they are in the latter. Nephridia meroic forests, not present on spermathecal ducts. Spermathecae in 8 and 9 have large ampulla on short duct with diverticulum same length as
duct and ampulla combined. The ampullae are flattend and the kinked termina of the diverticula have iridescent sheen (i. e., apparently charged with semen). Male organs holandric with testes
in 10 and 11 and seminal vesicles extensive in 10, 11 and 12. Ovaries and oviducts are small in 13; ovisacs not noted. Prostates are multi-lobed glandular on thick duct that, although wider
at exit, does not terminate in a noticeable copulatory pouch. Intestine commences in 16 and the intestinal caeca are manicate with three to five lobes, the larger of which is somewhat
incised.
Ingesta. Mainly woody and organic debris (detritivour).
Parasites and predators. Monocystis gregarines abundant internally in H, and nematodes also present: there appears to be one sort in the coelom and another from in the seminal
vesicles (stored in vials in sample jar).
Behaviour. Nothing yet known on these preserved specimens; although pigmentation and gut contents suggest the species inhabits the superficial soil litter layers.
Genetics. Tissue samples from posterior of H taken for DNA analysis (see Appendix 1b).
Ecology/Species associations. Having a heavy parasite burden is perhaps characteristic of an established species that has had time to acquire an extensive complement array. Nothing
is yet known of details of its ecology except that it is montane. Species found in the same collection series, but not necessarily from the mountains (all identified by RJB) are: 1-7-1-03 No
3-2 (1999) – Bimastos parvus (Eisen, 1874); 1-7-1-C1 No. 3-5 & No. 3-2 (1996) – Metaphire hilgendorfi/ Amynthas tokioensis spp-complex; plus several other
immature specimens.
Remarks. In Easton (1981) this taxon does not key out, but comes closest to Amynthas robustus (Perrier, 1872) that is differentiated on its genital markings, or to
cosmopolitans Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867) and Duplodicodrilus schmardae (Horst, 1883) both possibly originally from Japan that differ, not least, in their
non-superficial male pores. Outside Japan/ Korea, only about 18 previously known taxa have the combined characteristics of spermathecae in 7/8/9 and manicate caeca (Blakemore, unpubl.). Those
lacking genital markings, as here, are:
Amynthas digitatus and A. jampeanus both from Indonesia by Benham (1896) that have different biometry, Metaphire musica (Horst, 1883) from Java, Indonesia living in
pandanus trees is larger in size: up to 570 mm long by 48 mm wide, and Amynthas dangi (Thai, 1984) from Vietnam is also larger at >300 mm long.
In Sims & Easton (1972) the schmardae-group, apart from synonyms, only contains Metaphire paeta (Gates, 1935) from China that has large genital marking papillae paired
in the anterior of 8 and 9. Alternatively, specimens with superficial pores key out to an A. aeruginosus-group of nominal taxa that is unreconstructed with regards to intestinal
caeca form or other defining characteristics. This latter group includes Amynthas robustus and Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872), both having genital markings and simple
caeca. As this species is clearly different to thse taxa, it is reasonable to conclude that it is species new to Japan and probably a native.
日本産ミミズ大図鑑
