File:Internal morphology of the Glyphidrilus trangensis holotype CUMZ 3262 - ZooKeys-265-001-g033-B.jpeg

English: Morphology of the holotype (CUMZ 3262) of Glyphidrilus trangensis, showing the internal dorsal view.

Some important terminology for the morphological characters of Glyphidrilus

The terms normally use for descriptions of earthworm characters were compiled and modified from the literature (Gates 1972, Edwards and Bohlen 1996, Sims and Gerard 1999), are arranged in alphabetical order. Some are also shown in Figure 5.

Annular: Clitellum encircling the body, being continuous ventrally and equally developed.

Clitellum: The region of the body wall formed from several layers of highly glandular epidermal cells, used for secreting mucus from which the egg capsule is formed. It provides nourishment for the developing embryos and, in some species, is used to hold partners together during copulation.

Dorsal pore: An intersegmental mid-dorsal pore, the sphinctered aperture leading from the coelom to the exterior between some segments.

Genital markings (gm): The area of modified epidermis important during copulation.

Gizzard (gi): Part of the alimentary canal having thick muscular walls, its main function is to grind up food before it reaches the intestine.

Hearts (he) or pseudohearts or lateral commissures or lateral hearts: Paired segmental blood vessels conveying the blood lateral-ventrally from the dorsal vessel to the ventral or sub-neural vessel.

Nephridia (np): Excretory organ, paired in most segments and comprised of a ciliated funnel or nephrosome opening into the preceding segment and leading into a system of tubules that are richly supplied with blood vessels, and terminating in a vesicle or bladder before discharging to the exterior through a nephridiopore in the body wall.

Peristomium: The foremost true segmentof an earthworm which bears the mouth.

Prostate: A paired gland in terrestrial earthworms that produces a fluid for transporting and nourishing sperm during copulation; either associated with the vas deferens or opening with a separated duct discharging through or nearby a male pore. This organ never occurrs in Glyphidrilus .

Prostomium: The portion of the head in earthworms that is situated in front of the mouth. The pre-segmental lobe is developed into a proboscis that is used for probing and swallowing soils and leaf litter. It is believed to be highly chemosensory.

Seminal vesicle(s) (sv): Pouch formed in a septum adjacent to a testicular segment, where the spermatogonia undergo the later stages of spermatogenesis and are stored until required during copulation.

Setae: Bristle of chitin, the product of a single ectodermal cell, used for locomotion, for gripping the walls of a burrow or for holding another individual during copulation.

Spermatheca or spermathecae (sc): Flask-like invagination of the body wall for the reception and storage of sperm from a partner during copulation.