Phreodrilidae (Clitellata: Annelida) in north-western Australia with descriptions of two new species

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 7 years ago

ABSTRACT – Two new species of oligochaete (Clitellata: Annelida: Phreodrilidae) are described from subterranean waters of the Pilbara and Cape Range regions of Western Australia. Phreodrilius linnaei. sp. nov. from the Pilbara, most closely resembles Phreodrilius penicillus Pinder 2003, also from the Pilbara, but is less widespread. Insulodrilus angela sp. nov. occurs primarily in ground water, especially within the Ashburton catchment of the Pilbara, but was also collected from two Pilbara springs and from a cave on Cape Range. These, and other undescribed phreodrilids, suggest that north-western Australia, despite being an arid zone, is surprisingly rich in this Condwanan family.