Pontoscolex

Pontoscolex Schmarda, 1861 (ref. ID; 6017)

Family Glossoscolecidae (ref. ID; 6017)

ref. ID; 6017

Righi (1984) revised the genera Pontoscolex Schmarda, 1861 and Meroscolex Cernosvitov, 1934. Cernosvitov proposed that the genus Meroscolex differs from Pontoscolex because its setae are arranged in regular rows and because of the structure of its calciferous glands. Nevertheless, Righi considered that these characters are not sufficient to distinguish Meroscolex from Pontoscolex at a generic level because some Meroscolex species have a partially irregular arrangement of the posterior setae and because some Pontoscolex have the same structure of the calciferous glands as some Meroscolex. Therefore, Righi grouped all their species under the genus Pontoscolex and separated then on a subgeneric level according to the position of the male genitalia among other characteristics. Based on the position of the male genitalia, parietal insertion of some anterior septa, and the arrangement of the setae, Righi divided the genus Pontoscolex into two subgenera, Pontoscolex and Meroscolex, and defined them as follows.

Subgenus Pontoscolex. "Tubercula pubertatis extend for 3-5 segments in the region of XIX-XXIII. Posterior setae arranged in regular series, or some series regular and other irregular, or in quincux. Some anterior septa with unconventional parietal insertion".
Subgenus Meroscolex. "Tubercula pubertatis extend for 4+1/n to 5+1/2 segments in the region of XXII-XXVIII. Setae disposed in regular series throughout the body. Septa with conventional insertion, rarely unconventional". Borges and Moreno (1992) described three new species of the genus Pontoscolex, and using the criteria established by Righi (1984) included two of them in the subgenus Pontoscolex. The third species presented charateristics so distinct, that they created a new subgenus Mesoscolex, which they defined as follows.
Subgenus Mesoscolex. "Tubercula pubertatis extend from 6+1/n to 7 segments in the region of segments (26+1/n), 27-32. Septa with conventional insertion. Posterior setae irregular". It is worth mentioning that, except for the position of the tubercula pubertatis (TP), the definitions of these subgenera are not exclusive.

Based on these analyses, the subgenera should be redefined as follows:

Subgenus Pontoscolex. TP extends over 3-5 segments beginning on segments 19-21; male pores in segments 19/20-22.
Subgenus Meroscolex. TP extends over 4-6 segments beginning on segments 22-23; male pores in segments 24.
Subgenus Mesoscolex. TP extends over 7 segments beginning on segment 26; male pores in segment 28. (ref. ID; 6017)

Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) corethrurus (Muller, 1857) (ref. ID; 6017, 6036)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) cuasi (Righi, 1984) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) cynthiae (Borges & Moreno, 1991) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) eudoxiae (Righi et al., 1978) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Meroscolex) guianicus (Cernosvitov, 1934) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) hingstoni (Stephensen, 1931) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Meroscolex) hoogmoedi (Righi, 1969) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) lilljeborgi (Eisen, 1896) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Meroscolex) longissimus (Cernosvitov, 1934) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) maracaensis (Righi, 1984) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) marcusi (Righi & Ayres, 1976) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) melissae (Borges & Moreno, 1991) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) nogueirai (Righi, 1984) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Meroscolex) rorainensis (Righi, 1934) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) spiralis (Borges & Moreno, 1991) (ref. ID; 6017)
Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) vandersleeni (Michaelsen, 1933) (ref. ID; 6017)