Edaphologia

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About 800 species (excluding sub-species and varieties) of Pheretima genus group belonging to Megascolecidae was divided into the following five genera after the characters of setae and intestinal caeca through the reexamination of the original descriptions and the records of Zoological Record (1864-1998):

　Planapheretima MICHAELSEN, 1934a …… Setae crowded in ventral side

Polypheretima MICHAELSEN, 1934a …… Setae distributed regularly in ventral side without intestinal caeca

Pithemera SIMS et EASTON, 1972 …… Setae distributed regularly in ventral side with intestinal caeca originating in segment 22 or 23

Begemius EASTON, 1982 …… Setae distributed regularly in ventral side with intestinal caeca originating in segment 25

Pheretima KINBERG, 1866 〔1867〕 …… Setae distributed regularly in ventral side with intestinal caeca originating in or posterior to segment 26

Among the original descriptions of species as new to Japan, there were many imperfect or inadequate ones. And the species of Pheretima could not be divided into the following three, Amynthas KINBERG (1866 [1867]), Metaphire SIMS et EASTON (1972), Pheretima KINBERG (1866[1867]), after EASTON (1981) and SIMS & EASTON (1972).

The following five species were given new names because of being the junior homonyms. The senior name is used for the token of the junior name.

Pheretima medipusilla nom, nov. for Pheretima pusilla OHFUCHI, 1956 (not Pheretima pusilla (UDE, 1893),

Pheretima medimaculosa nom. nov. for Pheretima maculosa GATES, 1933 (not Pheretima maculosa HATAI, 1930),

Pheretima mediparva nom. nov. for Pheretima parva CHEN et ZHIFANG, 1977 (not Pheretima parva (UDE, 1893),

Pheretima mediparvula nom. nov. for Pheretima parvula OHFUCHI, 1956 (not Pheretima parvula (GOTO et HATAI, 1898),

Pheretima medicampestris nom. nov. for Pheretima campestris LEE, 1952 (not Pheretima campestris (GOTO et HATAL, 1898).

The Japanese name of Pheretima mediparvula was changed from Tibi-mimizu to the new name, Hoso-mimizu. Twenty-seven species were given the Japanese names newly and 26 species were transformed to the different genera.

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