2 NEW SPECIES OF EPIRODRILUS (OLIGOCHAETA, TUBIFICIDAE) FROM LAKE-NYASA AND TANGANYIKA (EAST-AFRICA), WITH REDESCRIPTIONS OF E-SLOVENICUS AND E-MICHAELSENI

Recent interest in the ancient African rift lakes has led to the disco very of two new species of Epirodrilus. These species (Epirodrilus mam mosus sp. n. and Epirodrilus tanganyikae sp. n.) are characterized a.o . by their small sizes, the absence of hair and pectinate setae and th e presence of modified penial setae. They form a taxonomically logical and consistent group with Epirodrilus antipodum, known from another a ncient lake (Take Titicaca). New material of Epirodrilus slovenicus an d Epirodrilus michaelseni enables us to complete the description of th ese species and to update the knowledge on taxonomy and geographical d istribution of the genus. The discovery of true spermatozeugmata in E. michaelseni might eventually necessitate a partial redefinition of th e Rhyacodrilinae.