Earthworms (Oligochaeta, Clitellata) of the Mitaraka range (French Guiana): commented checklist with description of one genus and eighteen species new to science

Intensive sampling of earthworms in French Guiana has been carried out for several years. The first published results have highlighted a very high regional diversity, a considerable geographical turnover in the composition of communities, as well as a very high proportion of species new to science. However, the work of describing these new species had not been undertaken until now. In this work, we present the results of the sampling carried out in March 2015 during the “Our Planet Reviewed” terrestrial expedition in the Mitaraka Range. We used an integrative taxonomy approach combining the use of DNA barcodes and morpho-anatomical characters, which allowed the identification of 31 species, nine of which were represented in our samples only by juveniles, and four of which corresponded to already known species (Nouraguesia parare Csuzdi & Pavlícek, 2011, Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1856), Dichogaster andina Cognetti de Martiis, 1904 and Dichogaster bolaui (Michaelsen, 1891)). The remaining 18 species were new to science and are described in this work. They belong to the genera Andiorrhinus Cognetti de Martiis, 1908 (one species), Martiodrilus Michaelsen, 1936 (nine species), Urobenus Benham, 1886 (one species), Atatina Righi, 1971 (one species), Neogaster Cernosvitov, 1934 (two species), Omodeoscolex Csuzdi, 1993 (three species), and a new genus of Ocnerodrilidae Beddard, 1891 which we describe as Guianodrilus Bartz & Decaëns, n. gen. We then discuss the Linnaean deficit that characterizes the earthworm fauna of French Guiana and the taxonomic implications of our results.