Bulletin
OF THE

Illinois State Laboratory

Natural History

Urbana, Illinois, U. S. A.

STEPHEN A. FORBES, Ph. D., LL. D.

Director

Vol. X August, 1915 Articles VII-VIII.

ART. VII. TWO NEW SPECIES OF EUMBRICID.E FROM ILLINOIS

BY

Frank Smith, A.M., and Elizabeth Mae Gittins, M. A.

ART. VIII. TWO NEW VARIETIES OF EARTHWORMS WITH A KEY
TO DESCRIBED SPECIES IN ILLINOIS

BY

Frank Smith, A. M.



ERRATA

Page 49, line 7 from bottom, page 69. line 8 from bottom, page 85, last line, and

page 86, line 11 from bottom, for choiiuct'hrista read chaiiuvcristt].

Page 71, line 2 from bottom, for Tctraophthalmus, read Tetraopes.

Page 75, line 3 (second column) below first heading, for Cistudo read Terrapene.

Page 76, last line in first list, for brcvicaudis read brcvicauda.

Page 87, line 2 (second column) below first heading, for carisce read cardisce.

Page 214, lines 4, 7, and 11 above heading, for flaviciiigulata read flavicingula.

Page 283, line 19 from bottom, for Simulidcc read Siiiiiiliida-.

Page 289, line 7, for Bezzia read Probezzia.

Page 409, line 23, after /i. read 5.^6.

Page 531, line 12 from bottom, for dissimilis read nivoriundus.



Article VIII.

—

T^vo XciV Varieties of Eartlrn'oniis zvitli a Key
to described Species in Illinois* By Frank Smith.

The collections of earthworms made by the writer in 1895 at

Havana, Illinois, for the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History,

contain specimens of an undescribcd form which closely resembles

Hclodrilus (Biinastus) gieseleri (Ude) and is here described as a

variety of that species.

Helodrilus (Bimastus) gieseleri HEMPELi n. var.

(PI. XLI, Fig. 1-3)

Definition.—Color of living worm on dorsal side, brownish red

tinged with purple; somewhat more pronounced on a few anterior

and posterior somites. Length, extended, 65—75 n""^- Maximum
diameter, 2.5-3.5 """ii- ^t the clitellum. Somites, usually 105-115.
Prostomium epilobic, about Yi. Set:e closely paired, ah ~ i '<? cd, aa

a little greater than be, dd nearly ^ circumference. First dorsal pore,

V/VI. Clitellum, XXII-XXIX or J^XXX; incomplete ventrally.

Tubercula pubertatis lacking. Spermiducal pores on XV, conspicuous

;

surrounding glandular areas swollen, but externally confined to XV.
Septa VI/VII—XIV/XV, slightly thickened. Sperm sacs, two pairs,

in XI and XII. Spermatheoe lacking.

The description is based on specimens collected at Havana, Illi-

nois, under the bark of fallen timber in the Illinois River bottom-

lands. Specimens were very abundant in April and May of 1895,

and freshly formed cocoons were abundant during the latter half of

April and throughout May. More recently, specimens have been ob-

tained at several places in Champaign County near LTrbana, some of

them from fallen timber and some from beneath a straw stack.

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS

The brownish red color is generally distributed along the dorsal

half of the worm, being a little stronger on the anterior and posterior

ends. The coloration extends to about midway between b and c, the

ventral part of the body being without pigment. The clitellum is

*Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory, University of Illinois, No. 42.



552

flesh-colored. The length varies with the state of contraction and size

of specimen from 40 mm. to 75 mm., and under the influence of

anesthetics specimens may exceed 75 mm. There is considerable varia-

tion in size. Some mature specimens in moderate extension may be

50 X 2.5 mm. and others 75 X 3.5 mm. The number of somites in

apparently complete specimens varies from 100 to 120, with inter-

mediate numbers more common. The setae are closely paired and,

posterior to the clitellum, aa is slightly greater than be and five to

seven times greater than ab, while ab equals about ly^ cd, and dd is

slightly less than one half of the circumference. Anterior to the cli-

tellum, ab and cd increase a little and be is correspondingly diminished.

The clitellum is saddle-shaped and the ventral margin barely in-

cludes the ventral seta:. There is a slight increase in the thickness of

the hypodermis on the posterior part of XXI, but at the anterior

border of XXII there is abrupt increase and the beginning of the cli-

tellum proper. There is marked uniformity in this respect among the

many specimens examined. In many cases the clitellum ends abruptly

at the posterior margin of XXIX, and in others the dorsal part of the

clitellum encroaches on XXX but not beyond the middle of the somite.

Tubercula pubertatis are lacking. The paired spermiducal pores are

located on XV, about one third of the distance from h to c. The
swollen glandular areas surrounding the pores are conspicuous, and
the distance between the external grooves which separate XV from
adjacent somites is about twice as great in the region of the pores as

elsewhere. The oviducal pores are small apertures slightly dorsad of

b on XIV. The nephridiopores are in positions similar to those of

other Lnmbricidcr. They are near the anterior borders of the somites
and some of them are slightly dorsad of b, while others are approxi-
mately midway between d and the mid-dorsal line.

INTERNAL CHARACTERS

The septa of the anterior somites are but slightly thickened, those
of VI/VII, VII/VIII, and XIII/XIV being slightly thicker than the

others. The alimentary tract is similar in parts and relations to those
of other species of Hclodrilus. The esophagus is relatively small in

diameter in V-IX. The calciferous gland has the usual relations. The
esophagus abruptly widens in X, and the two lateral pouches of the

gland are formed. Extending from these pouches to the middle of
XIV, there are about 40 longitudinal partitions arranged radially

around the lumen of the esophagus. The crop is in XV and XVI and
the gizzard in XVII and XVIII. The "hearts" are in VII to XI,



553

and those of XI are similar in size to the others. The excretory and

nervous systems have the ordinary structures and relations.

The spermaries and spermiducal funnels have the usual positions

and relations in X and XI and the spermiducal pores are on XV. The
terminal parts of the sperm ducts are surrounded by rather large

masses of gland cells which encroach on the cavity of XVI. There

are but two pairs of sperm sacs, one pair in XI and one in XII. The
various female reproductive organs have the usual positions and rela-

tions except that spermathecae are entirely lacking.

A comparison of the above description with that of Hclodrilns

gicscleri (Ude)—see Ude ('95: 127)—will show very close corre-

spondence throughout except in the position of the clitellum, which

in the latter species begins abruptly on XX instead of XXII. I have

specimens collected from the eastern parts of Florida by Mr. Adolph

Hempel which correspond very closely with Ude's description even to

the presence of the groove separating the clitellar part of XX from

that of the following somites. A few specimens in the same collec-

tion show but little clitellar development on XX, the strongly thick-

ened part beginning on XXI. I assume that these Florida specimens

are Hclodrilns gicscleri. They have about 40 longitudinal partitions

in the calciferous gland as does the form described above. In view

of the connecting forms, there seems insufficient basis for recognizing

the new form as a distinct species, but because of the great uniformity

in the hundreds of Illinois specimens examined, there does seem to be

justification for treating it as a variety. No connecting forms have

been noticed in the Illinois material.

DlPLOCARDIA SINGULARIS FLUVIATIUS n. Var.

(PI. XLI, Fig. 4)

Definition.—Color of living worm, strongly brown on anterior

dorsal surface. Length, extended, 60-100 mm. Diameter, 2-2.5 """•

Somites, 100-120. Setse of pairs rather widely spaced: posterior to

clitellum, y^ aa = 2ab = be = cd; dd = yi circumference; ventral

seta lacking on XIX; ventral setrc of XVIII and XX modified as

penial setae ; spermathecal setae not modified. Clitellum, XIII-XVIII

;

nearly as thick ventrallv as dorsallv except on XVII and XVIII.

First dorsal pore, VIII/IX or IX/X. Spermathecal pores, VI/VII,

VII/VIII, and VIII/IX. Prostate pores on XVIII and XX. Sper-

miducal pores near anterior margin of XIX. Genital papillae paired_,

near XVII/XVIII and XX/XXI. Septa VII/VIII and VIII/IX
strongly thickened ; IX/X somewhat less strongly, and V/VI, X/XI,

and Xi/XII very slightly thickened. Gizzards in V and VI. Last



554

"hearts" in XII. Dorsal vessel single. Alimentary tract very narrow

in XVI and abruptly enlarged in XVII. Spermathecae in VII, VIII,

and IX. Sperm sacs in IX and XII.

Among the earthworms collected in 1895 at Havana, were many
specimens of this small type of Diplocardia which in anatomical char-

acters corresponds very closely with the revised description of D.

singularis (Ude) —see Ude ('95: 129). In a former paper by the

writer ('95b .-285), these worms were treated as belonging to tide's

species, and in a later paper ('00:442) they were listed as D. sin-

gularis, which species was mentioned as of frequent occurrence at

Havana and Urbana. The specimens found at Urbana are without

pigment and are of considerably stouter proportions than the Havana
specimens. They occur in upland wooded situations as well as in tree-

less areas. I think that the Urbana specimens are without doubt rep-

resentative of Ude's D. singularis, the type specimens of which were

collected at Danville, Illinois, only thirty miles east of Urbana. The
Havana specimens are very heavily pigmented anteriorly and quite

slender. They are very abundant in the muddy banks of Spoon River

near its entrance into the Illinois River, and are so situated that they

are submerged for weeks at a time during high water when the bot-

tom-lands are flooded.

The recognition of the Havana specimens as belonging to a dis-

tinct variety, as named and described above, will simplify subsequent

treatment of still other material which is closely related to D. sin-

gularis and D. comnuinis Garman. Despite the fact that some leading

investigators of the Oligochccta do not consider the last-named forms

as constituting distinct species, it seems to the writer that D. sin-

gularis, with its single dorsal vessel and its clitellum nearly as thick

ventrally as dorsally, must be given rank as a species distinct from
D. communis with its double dorsal vessel and saddle-shaped clitellum.

Explanations with Regard to Key

As the following key may often be utilized by persons not famil-

iar with the various symbols and terms in common use in systematic

papers dealing with earthworms, it seems desirable that some of these

be explained.

Roman numerals are generally used to designate the number of

a somite, counting from the anterior end. When the separation be-

tween somites is obscure, advantage may be taken of the fact that in

the species found in Illinois the first setae are always borne on the

second somite. Externally the limits of somites are ordinarily in-

dicated by transverse (intersegmental) grooves, while internally the





Tabular Key

cam«m



555

septa sen'e this purpose. Not infrequently, and especially in the an-

terior part of the worm, there is a considerable lack of correspondence

in the external and internal boundaries of somites thus indicated.

Septa and intersegmental grooves for any two somites are repre-

sented by the same formula—for example, \'/\'I—the context show-

ing which is meant. In all of our species except a few found in green-

houses there are but eight setse per somite, and these are more com-

monly arranged in pairs. It is customary to indicate the setae of

either side by the use of the letters a, b, c, and d, the ventral-most

seta being designated liy a, the next by b. the next by c, and the dorsal-

most one by (/. If the distances ab and cd are less than one third of

tlic distance be, the setae are said to be closely paired, and if otherwise,

they are widely paired. The clitellum may be incomplete ventrally or,

in some species of Diplocardia, it may be nearly as thick on the ven-

tral surface as elsewhere. In the accompanying table the former con-

dition is denoted by the term saddle and the latter by cingulum. Tu-

bercula pubertatis are glandular ridges closely associated with the

ventral edges of the clitellum on some of its somites.

The spermatheca? are pouches which open to the exterior and

receive sperm cells from another individual. They are the same as

the seminal receptacles mentioned in many text-books. The sperm

sacs open into the cavity of X or XI and store temporarily the sperm

cells produced in those somites. Each sperm sac lies in a somite ad-

jacent to the one into which it opens. These organs are often called

seminal vesicles in the text-books. The prostate glands are not found

in the Lumbricidcr and hence are not ordinarily mentioned in the text-

books. They are large glands more or less closely associated with the

external openings of the sperm ducts, and in indigenous Illinois spe-

cies open separately (prostate pores) from them on neighboring so-

mites.

The foregoing key includes all but two of the described species

of which representatives have been collected in Illinois, and gives the

main characters necessary for their identification. Because of the

large number of species in the genus Plicrctiuia and the consequent

difficulty in determining them, P. hctcrochacta and P. haivayana are

not included in tlie key. Additional matter concerning distribution

and habitats is included in the following text, as are also, in brackets,

citations to descriptions of most of the species.

Diplocardia riparia Smith (PI. XLI, Fig. 10-12).— [Smith, '95a:

138.] Abundant in the rich soil of the bottom-land forests of the Illi-

nois and the Kaskaskia rivers.



556

Diplocardia communis Garman.— [Garman, '88:47.] The first

species of the genus to be descriljed. It cHffcrs from its congeners in

having a double dorsal vessel extending throughout the greater part

of the length of the body. Abundant in the prairie soil of central

Illinois. Nothing is known of the limits to its range.

Diplocardia singxdaris (Ude).— [Ude, '95: 129.] Common in the

soil of the upland regions of east-central Illinois.

Diplocardia singularisflitviatilis n. var. (PI. XLI.Fig. 4).—Abun-
dant in the soil of the bottom-land forests at the junction of the Illi-

nois and Spoon rivers.

Diplocardia verrucosa Ude (PI. XLI, Fig. 13).— [Ude, '95:

133.] Described from specimens collected at Omaha, Nebraska. Abun-
dant in the soil of the bottom-land forests of the Illinois and Kas-
kaskia rivers.

Sparganophilus ciscni Smith (PI. XLI, Fig. 6-9).—[Smith, '95a:

142.] An aquatic species which is abundant in the mud of the bottom
and margins of many rivers and lakes east of the Mississippi River.

Helodrilus tctraedrus (Savigny) and H. t. hcrcynius (Michael-
sen).— [Michaelsen, '00:471-473.] Amphibious, and widely dis-

tributed throughout the United States and in many other parts of the

world.

Helodrilus foetidus (Savigny).— [Michaelsen, '00
: 475.] A con-

spicuously transversely banded species of nearly world-wide distri-

bution where Europeans have settled, and especially abundant in com-
post heaps and barnyards.

Helodrilus roseiis (Savigny).— [Michaelsen, '00: 478.] An abun-
dant, widely distributed species which lives in soil. It usually has
conspicuous papillae associated with some of the setae bundles of IX
and X.

Helodrilus caliginosus trapcsoidcs (Duges), PI. XLI, Fig. 14
and 15.— [Michaelsen, '00:483.] The most abundant species in the

long-settled parts of the United States, and found almost universally

where Europeans have settled. It is easily recognized by the con-
spicuous glandular pads associated with the ventral setse of IX-XI,
XXVIII, XXX, and XXXII-XXXIV.

Helodrilus subrubicundus (Eisen).— [Michaelsen, '00
: 490.]

This species is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, and
in other parts of the world where Europeans have settled. In Illinois,

specimens have most frequently been found in situations subject to

sewage contamination.

Helodrilus tenuis (Eisen).—This species was named in 1874 by
Eisen, who described only the external characters. These are insuffi-

cient to fix the identity of the species. An examination of specimens



557

of the original material given by Dr. Eisen to the United States

National Museum shows that the internal organization is the same as

that described for //. constrictus (Rosa). It is alnmdant and widely

distributed in the United States, including Alaska. It is most com-
monly found under the bark of fallen timber and in leaf mold.

HdodrUiis lonyiciiictus Smith and Gittins ['15:548].—Common
in the soil of lawns and parkings at Urbana, Illinois. Nothing is yet

known of its further distribution.

Hclodrihts zetcki Smith and Gittins ['15 : 545].—Common in and
under decaying logs in central Illinois and northern Michigan, and
probably has a quite extensive range east of the Mississippi River.

Helodrihis gicseleri hcmpcli n. var. (PI. XLI, Fig. 1-3).—Most
commonly taken under the bark of fallen timber. Found in central

Illinois.

Octolas'mmlactanu Orley (PI. XLI, Fig. 16 and 17).— [Michael-

sen, '00: 506.] Very aliundant in the soil of many cultivated regions

of the Northern Hemisphere, and in other places where Europeans
have settled.

Luinbrkus tcrrestris L., Miiller.— [Michaelsen, '00: 511.] This
is the species most commonly described in text-books. It occurs

throughout Europe and the northern part of the United States. In

the Eastern United States it is abundant as far south as Washington,
D. C. Its distribution in Illinois is apparently local, and is due, chiefly

if not altogether, to its introduction by white settlers. Its large size,

strongly flattened posterior end, marked coloration, and the distinctive

position of the clitellum readily distinguish this species from other

Illinois earthworms.

Pheretima hetcrochaeta (Michaelsen).—This species has been

collected in a greenhouse at Urbana. It is found in open fields in

several of the Gulf States, and is very widely distributed in the warmer
parts of the world. In common with other species of the genus it has

numerous setae per somite, and it differs from most of them in having

the ventral setae much larger than the other sets and the spaces be-

tween them somewhat greater.

Pheretima luncayana (Rosa).—Under the name of Perichceta

benmideims, this species is reported by Harper ('05 : 18) as occurring

in a greenhouse at Evanston, Illinois.

Helodriliis lou(/us (Ude), H. chloroficus (Savigny), H. parinis

(Eisen), and Lnnihricus riibellus Hoffmeister have been collected in

adjacent states and their occurrence in Illinois seems probable.

Tlrliana, Illinois, August .'>, 191.5.



LITERATURE CITED

Garman, H.
'88. On the Anatomy and Histology of a New Earthworm

(Diplocardia communis, gen. et sp. nov. ). Bull. 111. State Lab.

Nat. Hist, 3:47-77- 5 P'-

Harper, E. H.

'05. Reactions to Light and Mechanical Stimuli in the Earth-

worm, Perichaeta bermudensis (Beddard). Biol. Bull., 10: 17-

34-

Michaelsen, W.
'00. Oligochaeta. Das Tierreich, 10 Lief. XXIX+575 pp., 13

fig. Berlin.

Smith, P.

'95a. A Preliminary Account of two New Oligochaeta from Illi-

nois. Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., 4: 138-148.

'95b. Notes on Species of North American Oligochaeta. Bull. 111.

State Lab. Nat. Hist., 4:285-297.
'00. Notes on Species of North American Oligochaeta. III. List

of Species found in Illinois, and Descriptions of Illinois Tu-
bificidae. Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist, 5:441-458. 2 pi.

Smith, P., and Gittins, M. E.

'15. Two New Species of Lumbricidae from Illinois. Bull. 111.

State Lab. Nat. Hist., 10:545-550.

Ude. H.

'95. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Enchytraeiden und Lumbriciden.

Zeit. f. wiss. Zool., 61 : 111-141. i pi.

Fig. 1. Dorsal view.

Pig. 2. Ventral view of anterior end.

Fig. 3. Cocoon.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE*

Plate XLI

Helodrilus gieseleri hempeli

iifliilarif! fluviaiilis

ings by Lydia M. Hart (Gr



559

Diplocardia eiseni*

Pig. ri. Dorsal view.

Sparpaiiophihis eiseni

Fig. 6. Dorsal view.

Fig. 7. Ventral view of anterior cml.

Fig. 8 & 9. Cocoons.

Diplocdrdia riparia

Pig. 10. Dorsal view.

Pig. 11. Ventral view of anterior end.

Pig. 12. Cocoon.

Diplocardia verrucosa
Fig. 1.3. Dorsal view.

nelodrilii/i cnliiiinosns Irnpe^oides
Pig. 14. Dorsal view.

Fig. 15. Ventral view of anterior end.

Octolasium lucteum

Fig. 16. Dorsal view of small specimen, showing ordinary appearance.
Fig. 17. Dorsal view of large specimen which has been freed from earthy matter

in the intestine.

* The drawing^s from which this plate was made, were originally intended for a paper of some-
what dififerent scope, but this figure of a Florida speciesis incluued, since Mictaaelsen^s description