TABLE 4 in Three Novel Species of Earthworms of Genus Metaphire Sims and Easton, 1972 from Manipur, India

TABLE 4. Comparative traits of the novel species and related species.
S. No.Morphological charactersM. thabiensis sp. nov.M. californica (Kinberg 1867)M. kengtungensis (Gates 1931)M. lorella (Gates 1936)M. javanica (Kinberg 1867)1Body length (mm)3150–132108100–14050–1302Diameter (mm)23–545–63–53Segment number12685–115109?80–1104First dorsal pore9/1011/1212/1312/136/7–13/145Male poreencircled with oval swollen lining, (0.40x body circumference)on small tubercle at end of a columnar protuberance from the roof of an eversible, deep, transversely slit-like parietal invaginationon a short, rather stout penis within a longitudinally ellipsoidal copulatory chamberat ventral end of a slenderly conical penis, on roof of a thick-walled, longitudinally ovoidal, parietal chamber openingopening onto the surface through tumescent lips on segment xviii, c. 0.2 circumference apart6Spermathecaelarge flipper-like ampullae or obovoid, duct stout, conical, muscular with flat top, club-shaped stalked diverticulumduct shorter than ampulla, variously-looped stalked diverticulumduct rather stout, slightly shorter than ampulla, diverticulum looped and bound to ductduct about as long as am- pulla, bulbous ectally, diverticulum spirally wound or variously bentduct shorter than the ampulla and a slender diverticulum usually long and highly convoluted7Lateral intestinal caecaxxv–xviiixxvii–xxixxvii–xxixxvii–xixxxvii–xxiii, xxiv
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