Aspe, Nonillon M.; James, Samuel W. (2017). Pheretimoid earthworms (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) from Mt. Apo, Mindanao Island, Philippines with description of eight new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 65: 357-372.
We report 13 pheretimoid species of earthworms from Mount Apo National Park, Philippines. Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippine Archipelago, located in Mindanao Island in the southern part of the country. Aside from the two species already reported elsewhere, Pheretima apoensis and P. hamiguitanensis, we updated on the description of three species, P. virgata, P. monotheca, and P. urceolata. We also describe seven new Pheretima species, namely P. floresi, new species; P. baracatanensis, new species; and P. solisi, new species, which belong to the P. sangirensis group, characterised by having a pair of spermathecal pores at 7/8, and P. aquila, new species; P. gamay, new species; P. libradoi, new species; and P. davaoensis, new species, which belong to the P. urceolata group, characterised by having a pair of spermathecal pores at 5/6. In addition, we also describe one Amynthas species, A. apongensis, new species, which has a pair of spermathecal pores at 7/8. Sampling was conducted only in Brgy. Baracatan, Davao City and not all area of the Mt. Apo National Park was represented. Therefore, this report only represents a fraction of the knowledge of the biodiversity of earthworms on Mt. Apo National Park. We believe that many more species remain to be discovered in this area.