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Issue: Vol. 3458 No. 1: 7 Sep. 2012
Type: Articles
Published: 2012-09-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3458.1.7
Page range: 133–148
Abstract views: 42
PDF downloaded: 1

Earthworms (Clitellata: Acanthodrilidae, Almidae, Eudrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae) of the coastal region of Gamba, Ogooué-Maritime Province, southwestern Gabon

Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability, Gabon Biodiversity Program, Smithsonian Institution, S/C Shell Gabon, BP 48, Gamba, Gabon
Annelida Africa Alma Buettneriodrilus Dichogaster Oligochaeta Pontoscolex

Abstract

This is the first account of earthworms from the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas, a highly biodiverse coastal area ofequatorial Africa. We describe five new species of Dichogaster Beddard, 1888: Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus)moussavoui sp. nov., D. (Diplothecodrilus) tchignoumbai sp. nov., D. (Diplothecodrilus) tobii sp. nov., D.(Diplothecodrilus) alonsoi sp. nov., and D. (Dichogaster) gambaensis sp. nov.; report several more taxa for which thematerial was not adequate to serve as the basis for new species descriptions, and present new records of several exoticspecies. Coastal Gamba is now known to have ten indigenous species and four introduced species, some of which areknown invasives. Characteristics shared by several Gamba Dichogaster conflict with characters used to define subgenera of Dichogaster, indicating that additional data are needed to resolve relationships within this large taxon.

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