title: New species and records of the earthworm genus Ramiellona (Annelida, Oligochaeta, Acanthodrilidae) from southern Mexico and Guatemala.
abstract: Three new species from the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas are added to the acanthodrilid earthworm genus Ramiellona, R. microscolecina sp. nov., R. tojolabala sp. nov. and R. teapaensis sp. nov. They belong to a group of species with penial setae and last pair of hearts in segment 12. All are holandric and the spermathecae have either a flat circular diverticle in a segment anterior to that of the ampulla (R. microscolecina sp. nov. and R. tojolabala sp. nov.) or two ovoidal and sessile diverticles on opposite sides in the same segment of the ampulla (R. teapaensis sp. nov.). Ramiellona americana (Gates) is re-described from a single specimen from central Guatemala, and the diagnosis of Ramiellona lasiura (Graff) from El Salvador is emended after reinvestigating a paratype specimen from the Senckenberg Naturmuseum Frankfurt. On the basis of several individuals from different populations of the Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco, the morphological variation of Ramiellona strigosa setosa Righi is described and its relationship with the Guatemalan Ramiellona strigosa strigosa Gates and Ramiellona eiseni (Michaelsen) is discussed. Finally, the position of Ramiellona within Acanthodrilidae and its relation to genera of the doubtful Octochaetidae is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Invertebrados del Suelo. Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática. Instituto de Ecología A. C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351. Col. El Haya. Xalapa, Veracruz. C.P. 91070 MEXICO; Email: carlos.fragoso@inecol.mx.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Invertebrados del Suelo. Red de Biodiversidad y Sistemática. Instituto de Ecología A. C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec No. 351. Col. El Haya. Xalapa, Veracruz. C.P. 91070 MEXICO; Email: patricia.rojas@inecol.mx.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rojas
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology