Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm (Clitellata, Moniligastridae) from the Western Ghats of India

Opusc. Zool. Budapest, 2025, 56(3): 97–109 urn: lsid:zoobank.org:pub:692C0B58-DD94-4A96-B426-C542F0F70244 published: 30 September2025 HU ISSN 2063-1588 (online) https://doi.org/10.18348/opzool.2025.3.97 Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm (Clitellata, Moniligastridae) from the Western Ghats of India S. PRASANTH NARAYANAN1*, R. PALIWAL2, V.P. SYLAS3, A.P. THOMAS4 & J.M. JULKA5 1Sasankan Prasanth Narayanan, Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarsini Hills, Kottayam – 686560, Kerala, India. E-mail: [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7765-9570. *Corresponding author 2Rahul Paliwal, House No 77/62, Mansarovar, Jaipur – 302020, Rajasthan, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6531-7303 3Variyettel Paulose Sylas, School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarsini Hills, Kottayam – 686560, Kerala, India & Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarsini Hills, Kottayam – 686560, Kerala, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2342-7720 4Ambattu Paili Thomas, Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarsini Hills, Kottayam – 686560, Kerala, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8815-2759 5Jatinder Mohan Julka, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan –173 212, Himachal Pradesh, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8787-2447 Abstract. A new moniligastrid earthworm Drawida karatala Narayanan, Paliwal & Julka, sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in South-western India. It belongs to the Robusta speciesgroup, which is characterized by glandular prostates and bilobed spermathecal atria. Within this group, two subgroups are recognized, one with distinctly bilobed atrium (Robusta subgroup) and the other with slightly bilobed atrium (Cochinensis subgroup). The new species belongs to the Robusta subgroup, with distinctly bilobed atrium. In addition to the new species described here, congeners of the Robusta subgroup are, D. robusta robusta (Bourne, 1886), D. robusta ophidioides (Bourne, 1894), D. somavarpatana Rao, 1921, D. thomasi Narayanan & Julka, 2017 and D. paliwali Narayanan, 2024. D. karatala sp. nov., can easily be differentiated from the all the members of the Robusta group by the shape of the spermathecal atrium, which superficially resembles the human palm, and the shape of the prostatic capsule, which is anvil-like with nodulations. The present work provides detailed description of the new species supported with images and illustrations of the key characters. A key to the Robusta species-group is provided. With the addition of the new species, a total of 81 Drawida species are known from India. Keywords. Annelida, biodiversity hotspot, endemic, Kasaragod, Kerala, Oligochaeta. INTRODUCTION ndia is one among the most earthworm species rich nations of the world (Narayanan et al. 2023a). A considerable number of new earthworm species have been described or reported from India in the last decade (Narayanan et al. 2017, 2019a, 2021a, 2022, 2024a, 2025a, b, c, Ahmed et al. 2022, 2023a, b, 2025, Hasan et al. 2024, Tiwari et al. 2024, 2025a, b, Rodingpuia et al. 2024, Naik et al. 2024, etc.). Most of these new species described belong to the family Megascolecidae (Ahmed et al. 2022, Naik et al. 2024, Narayanan et al. 2024b, 2025a, c, etc.), followed by Moniligastridae (Narayanan et al. 2017, 2021a, 2022, 2024c, 2025b; Tiwari et al. 2025c) and Acanthodrilidae (Tiwari et al. 2021, Ahmed et al. 2023a, b, 2025, Rodingpuia et al. 2024). Among earthworms, the family Moniligastridae Claus, 1880, is considered as the most archaic I Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 98 (Narayanan et al. 2024d), which comprising 185 species across five genera (Narayanan et al. 2024c, d, 2025b, Liu et al. 2025, Tiwari et al. 2025c). According to James and Davidson (2012) it is a sister group to the earthworms of the order Crassiclitellata Jamieson, 1988. Moniligastrid earthworms mainly inhabit the tropical Oriental (Indomalayan) region (Shekhovstov et al. 2022) with a number of species from the subtropical and temperate zones of eastern Palaeacrtic (Narayanan et al. 2024d). With 155 species (Narayanan et al. 2024c, d, 2025d, Liu et al. 2025; Tiwari et al. 2025c), Drawida Michaelsen, 1900, is the most speciose genus within the family Moniligastridae (Jamieson 1977) and with 80 species recorded forms the most species-rich genus among the Indian earthworms (Narayanan et al. 2023a, 2024c, d; Tiwari et al. 2025c). According to Gates (1972) and Narayanan et al. (2024d) its distribution is almost equal to that of its family distribution range. Owing to several facts, Drawida is the most remarkable genus among the various members of the Moniligastridae family (Narayanan et al. 2025d). Recently Narayanan et al. (2024d) theorized that its range in Southeast Asia begins west of the Wallace Line in the Malay Archipelago. Within India, this genus shows high levels of diversification in the Indian peninsula, predominantly in the Western Ghats hill ranges of south-western India (Stephenson 1923, Gates 1945, Narayanan et al. 2020, 2023a, 2024c, d, e). The Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot is very rich in earthworm species (Narayanan et al. 2020, 2021b, 2023a). Narayanan et al. (2025d) hypothesized that the Drawida species entered the Indian peninsula through the north-eastern corner of present day India, during the Burdigalian age (ca. 16 Ma) in the middle Miocene epoch and taken the Eastern Ghats-East coast route to colonise the Western Ghats mountain ranges. In the present century, earthworm taxa of the Western Ghats have been extended with the description of many new taxa and new species reports (Julka et al. 2004, Narayanan et al. 2016a, 2017, 2019a, b, 2023b, 2025a, b, Anuja et al. 2020, etc.). This includes ten new moniligastrids (Narayanan et al. 2017, 2021a, 2022, 2024c, 2025b), of these five are of Drawida species. Herein we describe and illustrate a new Drawida species, namely, D. karatala sp. nov., based on the specimens collected from the forest of Ranipuram in the Western Ghats of Kasaragod District, which lies in the northern portion of Kerala State, south-western India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Earthworms were collected by digging the soil with a spade and hand-sorting the soil for earthworms. Collected specimens were fixed in 10% formalin, and later type specimens were transferred to 95% ethanol. All relevant morphological and anatomical characterization of the earthworms was carried out under a Magnus MSZ series stereomicroscope. Illustrations were made with the help of a camera lucida attached to the microscope. Colour images were taken using a Nikon SMZ800N stereomicroscope. Images and line drawings were improved using Adobe Photoshop. The type specimens of the new species were deposited in the ‘National Zoological Collections’ of the Zoological Survey of India – Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode (ZSIK), Kerala State, India. Single other material is housed in the earthworm collection of the Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (ACESSD), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. Institutional abbreviations. ACESSD: Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India; ZSIK: Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode, India. TAXONOMY Class Clitellata Michaelsen, 1919 Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 99 Order Moniligastrida Brinkhurst & Jamieson, 1971 Family Moniligastridae Claus, 1880 Genus Drawida Michaelsen, 1900 Type species. Moniligaster barwelli Beddard, 1886 (= Drawida barwelli) Distribution. Span from South Asia (India, Bangladesh, probably introduced to Sri Lanka and Nepal) to Indochina, Southeast Asia (Borneo, Philippines, Sumatra), East Asia (eastern China, Korean peninsula, Japan) extending as far as Far Eastern Russia’s Amur River flood plains (Narayanan et al. 2024d, 2025d). Three peregrine species, attained circumtropical distribution, which has been reported from Africa, Americas, Australia, and Oceania (Kobayashi 1941, Gates 1972, Csuzdi 2005, Blakemore 2012, Narayanan et al. 2024d). Drawida karatala Narayanan, Paliwal & Julka, sp. nov. (Figures 1A–B, 2A–F) Material examined. Holotype. Aclitellate (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI/WGRC/I.R.INV.29371), Ranipuram (12.4217°N, 75.3540°E), which lies close to Kerala-Karanataka state border, around 4 km south of Panathur and 48 km east of Kanhangad town in Kasaragod District, Kerala State, India, 935 m a.s.l., evergreen forest, 12 October 2012, leg. S. Prasanth Narayanan, S. Sathrumithra and M. Ramesan. Paratypes. 1 aclitellate: same collection data as for holotype (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI/WGRC/I.R.INV.29372); 1 aclitellate (posteriorly incomplete due to autotomy) (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI/WGRC/I.R.INV.29373), Ranipuram (12.4182°N, 75.3512°E), Kasaragod District, Kerala State, India, hill top evergreen forest, 17 December 2013, leg. S. Prasanth Narayanan, S. Sathrumithra and Dinu Kuriakose. Other material. 1 aclitellate (posteriorly incomplete) (ACESSD/EW/1947), Ranipuram, Kasaragod District, Kerala State, India, shola–like evergreen forest floor, 27 June 2016, leg. Roshnath Ramesh and Arjun C.P. Diagnosis. Drawida karatala sp. nov. belongs to the Robusta species group. Setae present from segment 2, ventral pairs larger. Spermathecal apertures paired, in intersegmental furrow 7/8, aligned at c, or slightly median to c line. Secondary male apertures paired in transverse slits, in intersegmental furrow 10/11, at mid bc setal lines. Gizzards four to six within segments 16–21, constantly present on segments 16–19. Vas deferens slender, long, coiled in a few loops at the base of testis sac, enter the musculature of parietes, reemerge to open at anterior ectal end of prostate. This species can easily be differentiated from the congeners of the Robusta species-group by the shape of the spermathecal atrium, which is distinctly bilobed in segments 7 and 8, ental end of atrium widened, closed human palm-like, surface wrinkled, prostate posteriorly directed anvil-like, and prostatic capsule anvil-like with nodulations. Description. External. Colour in life, dorsum greyish blue, ventrum pale; greyish in preservation. Body circular in cross section. Dimensions: Holotype: length 191 mm, width 6 mm at segment 9, segments 194; paratypes: specimen I – length 192 mm, width 7 mm at segment 9, segments 172; specimen II – length 94 mm, width 5 mm at segment 9, segments 89 (posterior portion missing); other material: width 4.5 mm at segment 9, segments 89 (posterior portion missing). Setae lumbricine, closely paired, ventral pairs larger, present from segment 2; setal formula aa:ab:bc:cd:dd = 7.5:2:7:1:34 and 7.5:2:6:1:27 at segment 8; 9.5:1:7.5:1.25:30 and 9:1:9:1:39 at segment 20 (n = 2). Prostomium prolobous. Dorsal pores absent. Clitellum not recognizable. Spermathecal apertures paired, in intersegmental furrow 7/8, aligned at c, or slightly median to c line, concealed in furrow, with puckered lips in segments 7 and 8 (Fig. 1A, B). Secondary male apertures paired at mid bc, in transverse slits in intersegmental furrow 10/11 (Fig. 1A, B) with puckered orifices, tumid lips anterior and posterior segments. Female pores minute in intersegmental furrow 11/12 at b line or between ab line close to b. Nephridiopores visible from intersegmental furrow 4/5, in single line at c or between cd, throughout. Genital markings absent. Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 100 Figure 1. Drawida karatala sp. nov., external characters: A – Image showing the anterior region, ventral view; B – Illustration of the anterior region, ventral view. Abbreviations. Sm – Secondary male aperture; Sp – Spermathecal pore. Internal. Bluish pigmentation in circular muscle layer. Septum 4/5 slightly muscular, septa 5/6/7/8/9 muscular. Gizzards four to six, within segments 16–21, constantly present on segments 16–19, anterior one smaller; intestine origin in segment 23±1. Last pair of hearts in segment 9, commissures of extra oesophageal vessel on posterior face of septum 8/9 and 9/10 not recognizable. Testis sacs paired, asymmetrical, ovoid to slightly flattened with a long neck, dislocated to posterior segments, extends in segments 9–10, 11, 12, not constricted by septum; vas deferens slender, long, coiled in a few loops at the base of testis sac, enters the musculature of parietes, re-emerge to open at anterior ectal end of glandular portion of prostate. Prostates paired, glandular, in segments 11–12, erect or slightly slanting laterally, anvil-like, posteriorly directed generally (Fig. 2A, B); prostatic capsule anvillike, smooth, single, double or triple nodulated surface (Fig. 2C, D); prostatic duct erect, stout, thick, shorter than the length of glandular portion, vas deferens entering at anterior ectal end of the capsule. Spermathecal ampulla ovoid, paired in segment 8; atrium distinctly bilobed, one lobe each in segments 7 and 8, ental end of atrium widened and wrinkled, somewhat superficially similar to closed human palm (Fig. 2E, F); spermathecal duct long, thick, coiled at the base of ampulla, ectal portion slender, touches the atrial lobe on segment 8 from the median side at about 1/3rd of the base, pass forward to join at junction of atrial lobes. Ovarian chamber absent; ovisacs paired, long, tubular, extends in segments 12–14, 15, 16 tapering end. Nephridia holoic, avesiculate. Variations. In the holotype anterior to the gizzard on segments 14, 15, two weak gizzardlike structures are present, but they are not as hard as the true gizzards found in the following segments. Anterior lobe (segment 7) of the spermathecal atrium is slightly shorter than the one on segment 8 in one specimen. In paratype (ZSIK Reg. No. ZSI/WGRC/I.R.INV.29373) the prostatic capsule nodulations are distinctly branched. Testis sac position: in one specimen it extends in segments 9–10 on left side, 9–11 on right side, in another specimen it extends in segments 9–12 on right side. Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 101 Figure 2. Drawida karatala sp. nov., prostate and spermatheca: A – Image of the prostate, portions of glands lost during the study, left side, dorsal view; B – Illustration of the prostate, left side, dorsal view; C – Image of the prostatic capsule, left side, dorsal view; D – Illustration of the prostatic capsule, left side, dorsal view; E – Image of the bifid spermathecal atrium, right side, dorsal view; F – Illustration of the bifid spermathecal atrium of left side, dorsal view. Abbreviations. At – Spermathecal atrium; Mu – Muscle; Pc – Prostatic capsule; Pd – Prostatic duct; Pr – Prostate Sa – Spermathecal ampulla; Sd – Spermathecal duct; Ts – Testis sac; Vd – Vas deferens. Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 102 Etymology. The specific epithet “karatala” is a feminine noun derived from the Sanskrit adjective “karatalam”, meaning ‘palm of the hand’. In reference to the spermathecal atrial lobes’ superficial resemblance to the closed human palm. Sanskrit is an ancient classical Indian language. Ingesta. Chiefly colloids of fine soil with sparse bark or woody organic materials. Habitat. Higher elevation forest (evergreen and shola–like evergreen) with brownish black forest-loam soil with much humus. Syzygium laetum, Chinanthus mala-elengi, Gnetum edule, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Meiogyne pannosa, Actinodaphne wightiana, Litsea coriacea, Litsea floribunda etc. are some of the floral species found in the Ranipuram Hills (Ramachandran & Arumugam 2021). Ecology. Appears to be an endogeic species, as indicated by large quantity of fine soil and a few small particles of organic matter in the intestine. Autotomy present, which indicates the ability of species to regenerate the lost portion. A few cysts of parasitic protozoans were found in the region of reproductive system in one specimen. D. karatala sp. nov. was found to share the type locality with other earthworm species such as D. somavarpatana Rao, 1921, Drawida kanarensis Stephenson, 1917. Distribution. Endemic to India: Kerala State: Kasaragod District: Ranipuram (Fig. 3). Ranipuram is bordered with the forests of Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka State, possibly, it can also be found in the nearby regions of Karnataka. Remarks. Drawida karatala sp. nov. belongs to the Robusta species group. Species of this group have glandular prostates and bilobed spermathecal atria. Including the new species described here in this work, the Robusta group consists of nine species, viz., D. robusta robusta (Bourne, 1886), D. robusta ophidioides (Bourne, 1894), D. ghatensis Michaelsen, 1910, D. somavarpatana Rao, 1921, D. robusta cochinensis Stephenson, 1925, Drawida thomasi Narayanan & Julka, 2017, D. paliwali Narayanan, 2024, D. proboscidea Narayanan, 2024, and D. karatala sp. nov. Characters of the group members are compared in detail in table 1. Two subgroups are recognized within the Robusta species group, i) Robusta subgroup: with distinctly bilobed atrium, and ii) Cochinensis subgroup: with slightly bilobed atrium (lobes are like light protuberances) (Narayanan et al. 2024c). D. karatala sp. nov. belongs to the Robusta subgroup, this includes D. robusta robusta (Bourne, 1886), D. robusta ophidioides (Bourne, 1894), D. somavarpatana Rao, 1921, Drawida thomasi Narayanan & Julka, 2017, D. paliwali Narayanan, 2024, and D. karatala sp. nov. Differences between D. karatala sp. nov. and other species in the subgroup are as follows: D. karatala sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from D. r. robusta and D. r. ophidioides by the shape of the prostate (anvil-like vs hemispherical). It can be differentiated from D. somavarpatana by the kind of prostate (single, anvil-like vs bifid, fingerlike). Spermathecal atrial lobe very long, coiled into a compact mass in D. thomasi, whereas it is closed human palm-like in D. karatala sp. nov. Further, based on the shape of spermathecal atrium D. karatala sp. nov. can be ascertained from D. paliwali as well (closed human palm-like vs sacular, wrinkled). DISCUSSION Richness of Drawida is minimal in the eastern Asia, but high in Myanmar, north-eastern India, and very high in Peninsular Indian portions, particularly the southern Western Ghats (Blakemore et al. 2014, Narayanan et al. 2020, 2024c, 2025d). Within India, the Western GhatsWest coast is the most important region for earthworm diversity, which exhibits a remarkably high degree of endemism at both the species and generic levels (Julka & Paliwal 2005, Narayanan et al. 2020, 2023a). In general, moniligastrid earthworms show high species richness in the southern Western Ghats (Stephenson 1923, Gates 1945, Narayanan et al. 2020, 2023a, 2024c, d, e, Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 103 Figure 3. Location of the type locality (Ranipuram) of Drawida karatala sp. nov. in Kerala State, India. 2025b, d). Within the Western Ghats, the genus exhibits high diversity in the southernmost state of Kerala, among 28 species recorded, 13 are endemic (Narayanan et al. 2016b, 2017, 2023a, 2024c, e, 2025d). With the description of the new species, the number of Drawida species reported from the Western Ghats and Kerala state increases to 53 and 29 species respectively. Narayanan et al.: Drawida karatala, a new species of earthworm from the Western Ghats of India 104 Key to the species of Robusta group of Drawida Michaelsen, 1900 1. Spermathecal atrium distinctly bilobed, in segments 7 and 8 ........................................................................ 2 – Spermathecal atrium slightly bilobed (lobes are like light protuberances), in segment 7 .......................... 7 2. Prostate bifid, finger-like at each side ....................... ...................................... D. somavarpatana Rao, 1921 – Prostate single at each side ...................................... 3 3. Prostates hemispherical, sessile ............................. 4 – Prostates otherwise .................................................. 5 4. Atrial lobes erect, tubular; anterior lobe larger ......... ........................................ D. r. robusta (Bourne, 1886) – Atrial lobes teat like, anterior lobe smaller ............... ..................................D. r. ophidioides (Bourne, 1894) 5. Spermathecal atrial lobe very long, coiled into a compact mass .... D. thomasi Narayanan & Julka, 2017 – Spermathecal atrial lobe short and not coiled .......... 6 6. Atrial lobes large, sacular, wrinkled; anterior lobe shorter ............................. D. paliwali Narayanan, 2024 – Atrial lobes small to medium size, closed human palm-like ...................................................................... ....... D. karatala Narayanan, Paliwal & Julka, sp. nov. 7. Prostate sub-spherical with short stalk, almost as wide as the gland .. D. r. cochinensis Stephenson, 1925 – Prostate otherwise .................................................... 8 8. Prostate mushroom-shaped ....................................... .................................... 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