Senapatiella Julka, Blanchart & Chapuis-Lardy, 2004, gen. nov.

Senapatiella gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Prostomium tanylobic. Setae lumbricine. Male pores paired, in seminal grooves, on 18; prostatic pores paired, at ends of seminal grooves, on 17 and 19. Oesophagus with a single gizzard in 6; one pair of discrete extramural calciferous glands opening into oesophagus close to attachment of septum 14/15 through short ducts, each gland bilobed, one lobe in 14 and the other in 15; typhlosole simple, lamelliform; intestinal caeca and supra­intestinal glands absent. Penial setae present. Micromeronephridia astomate, exonephric, paired tufts on body wall in 2–7, few and scattered in 8 and posteriad segments; paired, stomate, exonephric megameronephridia in caudal segments, funnels close to nerve cord.

Senapatiella is closely related to Oriental octochaetid genera Priodochaeta (Gates, 1940), Kotegeharia Julka, 1988 and Parryodrilus Julka et al., 1997 in having a single oesophageal gizzard, discrete extramural calciferous glands posterior to segment 13 and paired exonephric stomate megameronephridia in caudal segments. It can be distinguished from these genera by the characteristics as given in Table 1.

Type species. Senapatiella alfredi sp. nov.

Description. Prostomium tanylobic. Setae lumbricine through out body. Clitellum annular. Male pores paired, minute, in seminal grooves on 18; prostatic pores paired, minute, at ends of seminal grooves on 17 and 19. Female pores paired, minute, presetal, within a lines on 14. Spermathecal pores paired, minute. Genital markings absent. Nephridiopores not recognised.

Unpigmented. Gizzard single, in 6. Calciferous glands discrete, extramural, one pair; each gland bilobed, one lobe in 14 and the other lobe in 15, both discharging into oesophagus close to insertion of septum 14/15 through a common duct. Supra­intestinal glands and intestinal caeca absent; typhlosole simple, lamelliform. Dorsal blood vessel single, complete; supra­oesophageal vessel single, 8–13; subneural vessel absent; extra­oesophageal vessels paired, recognised in 5, passing on to ventral surface of oesophagus in 9; latero­parietal vessels paired, passing to supra­oesophageal vessel in 13; lateral hearts originating from supra­oesophageal vessel with delicate connectives to dorsal vessel in 10–13. Holandric. Prostates tubular, paired, in 17 and 19. Penial setae present. Spermathecae paired, diverticulate. Ovaries paired, fan­shaped, in 13. Micromeronephridia astomate, exonephric, small paired tufts on body wall in 2–7, a few on body wall in 8 and posteriad segments; paired stomate exonephric megameronephridia in caudal segments, funnels close to nerve cord.

Etymology. Senapatiella, gender feminine; named for Dr. B.K. Senapati, an authority on the ecology and biology of Indian earthworms.

Remarks. Referred as ‘Genus C’ in Blanchart and Julka (1997).