Book of Abstracts

 

Preface

 

The growing amount of information available about taxonomy and molecular variability enables the establishing of phylogenetic systematics of Oligochaeta, and the performing of conceptually and methodologically enriched studies on diverse aspects of taxonomy, biodiversity and phylogeography. In spite of numerous studies the relationships rooted in the evolutionary distant past are poorly understood among Oligochaeta.

 

A way to speed up the progress in scientific work and to exchange ideas is to encourage cooperation by bringing together scientists working on similar subjects. This is the basic idea behind the organization of the International Oligochaete Taxonomy Meetings (IOTM). So far, four successful meetings took place. The 1st IOTM was organized by Ana G. Moreno in Madrid, Spain, the 2nd IOTM by Victor V. Pop in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, the 3^rd IOTM by Tomáš Pavlíċek and Patricia Cardet in Platres, Cyprus, and the 4th IOTM by Tomáš Pavlíċek, Patricia Cardet and Yüksel COŞKUN in Diyarbakır, Turkey. As a tradition, the meetings concentrate mainly, but not exclusively, on earthworms and discuss, apart of taxonomy, also different aspects of the oligochaete biodiversity and new methods of their study. The 5th International Oligochaete Taxonomy Meeting, taking place in Beatenberg, Switzerland, from April 11 to April 15, 2011, will continue in the best tradition of the previous four meetings.

Choosing to host the 5th IOTM in the Alps has a symbolic meaning. The Alps constitute one of the European hotspots of the origin of earthworm biodiversity. This combined with the traditional Swiss hospitality and the support given to this event are a guarantee of a successful and fruitful meeting.

 

Tomáš Pavlíċek

Convenor of the 5th IOTM

Haifa, April 2, 2011

 

---

 

The abstracts are listed in alphabetical order according to the name of their first author.

 

Deadline for the submission of abstracts was January 31, 2011.

 

---

► ABUKENOVA V.

Comparison of gizzard muscles excitation of life forms in Aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) induced by acetylcholine   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Comparison of gizzard muscles excitation of life forms in Aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) induced by acetylcholine

      
      

      ABUKENOVA V.

      
      

      Department of Zoology, E.A. Buketov State University, Universitskaya Street 21-44, 100028, Karaganda, Kazakhstan
      e-mail: mailto:abu-veronika@yandex.ru

      
      

      The acetylcholine is one of the main mediators of the neuro-muscular transmission in eathworms. As far as we know, earthworm muscles get excited by acetylcholine. We considered that main morpho-ecological lumbricid groups have different reactions to this biologically active substance. For our research, the amplitude and frequency of contractions of the visceral (gizzard) smooth muscles of life forms in Aporrectodea caliginosa were selected. The different concentrations of acetylcholine were tested and the contractive activity of the muscles was studied according to the method of isolated preparations. Action of acetylcholine on smooth muscles stimulated the tonic contractions. We constructed dose-response curves of reactions of muscles on the discrete concentrations of acetylcholine (1х10-11 - 1х10-4 М).
      
      The greatest sensitiveness and responsiveness to acetylcholine was recorded for the surface-living Aporrectodea caliginosa trapezoides: (average effective dose - 3х10-7 М). The muscles of Ap. caliginosa caliginosa inhabiting mineral soil layers have been less sensitive to acetylcholine and less responsible (average effective dose - 1,25x10-6 М)
      
      We can suppose that distinctions between parameters of induceous contractive activity of smooth muscles of life forms in Ap. caliginosa are related to the metabolic features and particular nervous regulation.

---

► AMOSSÉ J.

Impact of earthworms (Dichogaster bolaui) and the input of compost or vermicompost on nutrients leaching and microbes transfer.    [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Impact of earthworms (Dichogaster bolaui) and the input of compost or vermicompost on nutrients leaching and microbes transfer.

      
      

      AMOSSÉ J.

      
      

      University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      e-mail: joel.amosse@gmail.com

      
      

      The effect of the endogeic earthworm, Dichogaster bolaui, on the decomposition of two types of organic matter (compost and vermicompost) was studied in microcosms with 10 cm upper mineral soil from a degraded soil (Dong Cao watershed, Vietnam). Microcosms with and without organic matter (compost, vermicompost and control) were set-up. Three D. bolaui were added to half of them. During the experiment, organic matter decomposition was assessed through respiration measurement and germinations were counted. The study was carried out for one month and, at the end, 25 mm rainfall was applied for assessing N-NH4+ and N-NO3- contents in leached water and in two soil layers (soil surface and 0-2 cm soil layer). Bacterial and viral abundance was also determined in soils and in water after 0, 1 and 5 days of incubation. Earthworms were weighed and counted at the end of the experiment.
      
      It was hypothesized that organic matter quality affects D. bolaui’s activity, nutrients leaching and microbes transfer. In return, we assessed the effect of D. bolaui on organic matter decomposition, nutrients and microbes dynamics. CO2 emission was significantly increased by earthworms in all treatments. The number and the biomass of earthworms were respectively 5 and 1.7 fold higher in compost than vermicompost. The ability of this organic substrate providing easily available food benefited to biological activity. The endogeic earthworm positively affected germination in organic substrates. In leaching water, bacteria abundance, NO3- and NH4+ content were significantly lower in vermicompost treatment with the presence of D. bolaui. The nutrients protection in earthworm casts, the consumption of bacteria and the nutrients mobilization by earthworms explained these results.

---

► BARTZ M.L.C.¹, JAMES S.W.², PASINI A.¹, BROWN G.G.³

New Glossoscolex and Fimoscolex from S and SE Brazil   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • New Glossoscolex and Fimoscolex from S and SE Brazil

      
      

      BARTZ M.L.C.¹, JAMES S.W.², PASINI A.¹, BROWN G.G.³

      
      

      ¹Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Departamento de Agronomia, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 480, Caixa Postal 6001, CEP 86051-990, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
      ²Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA
      ³Embrapa Florestas, Estrada da Ribeira, Km 111, Caixa Postal 319, CEP 83411-000, Colombo-PR, Brazil
      e-mail: bartzmarie@gmail.com; pasini@uel.br; sjames@ku.edu; browng@cnpf.embrapa.br

      
      

      The genera Glossoscolex and Fimoscolex are native to southern and southeastern Brazil, the latter being endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome. Glossoscolex has a wider distribution (also in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), and is the most speciose genus in Brazil. The three subgenera of Glossoscolex, Glossoscolex s.s. (two intraclitellar male pores), Praedrilus (two preclitellar male pores) and Assudrilus (one intraclitellar male pore) include 34, 4 and 2 species. Fimoscolex was erected for species with a single male pore and copulatory pouch, but would otherwise be in Glossoscolex. Resemblances between the two genera are strong: the only difference, at present, is the presence of a single (Fimoscolex) vs. two (Glossoscolex) copulatory bulbs, since Glossoscolex (Assudrilus) also have a single male pore. Ten new species of Glossoscolex (9) and Fimoscolex (1) were recently described from material collected in northern Paraná, Brazil. Further material available in Brazilian collections include at least another 15-20 new species Glossoscolex and 10-15 new Fimoscolex.

---

► BLAKEMORE R. J.

On opening a Box of Worms...   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • On opening a Box of Worms...

      
      

      BLAKEMORE R. J.

      
      

      National Museum of Nature and Science (NMST), Tokyo, Japan
      e-mail: rob.blakemore@gmail.com

      
      

      Historical earthworm types are sought as part of continuing revision of Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese earthworms, especially controversial species of Goto & Hatai (1898, 1899) and Hatai (1930). Investigations had been fruitless. However, a container with several historical specimens from Saito Ho-on Kai Museum, most dating from 1920-1930s, was discovered in NMST in 2009. None could be unequivocally proven as syntypes; however, several are candidates for neotypification under ICZN rules. Neotypes are designated herein for Amynthas and Metaphire species (viz. communissima, glandularis, yunoshimensis, irregularis, maculosus, vittatus and yamadai) as a first step to resolving zoological complexities of parthenogenesis and of taxonomic confusion persisting for >110 years.
      
      After this find, another box with even older material was discovered in Yokohama in 2010: earthworm samples that had been taken from the Zoology Department of Tokyo University Museum (Todai ZUMT) “many years ago” by a Mr Kotaro Ishizuka. The box in question, handed to Dr Nishi in 2002 without any catalogue but said to contain no types, had the following label in Japanese on the outside:

      “[To] Dr Eijiro Nishi, Original earthworm samples, Heisei 13, 7th month [August, 2002]. [From] Kotaro Ishizuka”

      Most of the glass jars were original dating back as early as Meiji 26 (1896), some were cracked, and the labels and contents were in various states of deterioration and leakage which is a great shame as these samples must have survived, due to the diligence of curators who recognized their value, both the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the 1940s carpet bombing of Tokyo.
      
      At least three sets of SYNTYPES are present and there is an urgent need to re-register all these specimens, to stabilize samples, to decipher the labels, and to ensure this vitally important material is preserved and made available for morphological and DNA analysis into the future.

---

► BLAKEMORE R. J.

Annelid earthworms — Lords of the Ring   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Annelid earthworms — Lords of the Ring

      
      

      BLAKEMORE R. J.

      
      

      National Museum of Nature and Science (NMST), Tokyo, Japan
      e-mail: rob.blakemore@gmail.com

      
      

      As underground, promiscuous, polygamous, hermaphroditic nudists go – earthworms are a surprisingly diverse and important group of organisms. This is what Darwin explained to us in his 1881 treatise, the culmination of 40 yrs of his work, on Vegetable Mould and Worms where once again he showed, as with Evolution via Natural Selection, how small, constant changes produce profound effects on all entwined Nature.
      
      The importance of Earthworms relates to their intimate and synonymous/eponymous relationship with the earthen soil and plants that grow from it.
      
      Soil is the most important and precious natural commodity on the Earth. All terrestrial life is built upon its foundation from healthy organic soil, so too are river, lake and coastal marine ecosystems (the deep ocean is a mostly devoid “desert” with only a few biodiverse “oases” hotspots). A 10-yr $300m marine consensus resulted in the abysmally small total of just 250,000 marine species in total – about 10% of the current global total.
      
      The United Nations FAO provides that 99.6% of all human food and fibre comes from the land, despite this more resources are directed to aquatic and in particular marine research then into soil. There is not a single SOIL ECOLOGY INSTITUTE anywhere in the world in contrast to the myriad marine laboratories or space observatories. Thus Science journal was justified to title a special issue:

      “Soil – the Final Frontier”
      
      The aim is to present how Earthworms are Ancient (‘Bioneers” to the land some 500-750 m yrs ago, with claimed origins ca. 1 billion yrs), Diverse (ca. 10,000 currently named species cf. 13,000 mainly marine Polychaetes), and crucially Important to Ecosystem services and food-chains which all Life on Earth, including ourselves, depend. In 1802 Lamarck named them Annelidés – the ringed ones – and they truly are the humble but accomplished Lords of the Ring. A proposal is presented to justify support for crucial earthworm eco-taxonomy as a ‘Sea Change’ for soil research.

---

► BOROS G.

First record of reproduction by fragmentation in the genus Marionina (Oligochaeta: Enchytraeidae)   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • First record of reproduction by fragmentation in the genus Marionina (Oligochaeta: Enchytraeidae)

      
      

      BOROS G.

      
      

      Systematic Zoology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Hungary
      e-mail: henlea@gmail.com

      
      

      Hermaphrodite enchytraeids usually breed sexually. However, in 1959 Bell described the first time a species (Enchytraeus fragmentosus) which is able to multiple asexually by fragmentation (architomy). Since then eight species of three genera (Buchholzia, Cognettia and Enchytraeus) are known where this phenomenon is detected.
      
      These species can alternate sexual breeding and multiplying by fragmentation. In addition, they developed different life strategies: E. bigeminus Nielsen and Christensen, 1963, reaches sexual maturity when its population density is low (Christensen, 1973). Oppositely, E. dudichi Dózsa-Farkas, 1995 reproduces asexually by fragmentation, and when the density is high enough the worms become mature and turn to zoogamy (Dózsa-Farkas, 1995). In the case of E. variatus Bouguenec and Giani, 1987 only juveniles are able to fragment, mature specimens breed just sexually. After 35 days in general, the adults perish all at once. The new generation is hatched out of the cocoons and juveniles are able to fragmentation again (Bouguenec and Giani, 1989).
      
      In Hungary the investigation of the enchytraeid fauna of green houses is in progress since 2006. Beside of the temperate zone species a few Mediterranean and subtropical species turned up (Boros and Dózsa-Farkas, 2007). In 2009 a Marionina species was found in the botanical garden of University of Szeged, which is also able to architomy. Unfortunately, mature specimens of this species known neither in samples nor in breeding cultures so far. Fragmentation was observed rarely. Probably the strategy is similar to E. dudichi, but resemblance to E. variatus also exists: occasionally all worms die in cultures at the same time.

---

► BOYER S.¹, WRATTEN S.D.², BOWIE M.¹

Integrated taxonomy of a new endemic earthworm from New Zealand (Oligochaeta : Ochtochaetidae) with a very restricted distribution   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Integrated taxonomy of a new endemic earthworm from New Zealand (Oligochaeta : Ochtochaetidae) with a very restricted distribution

      
      

      BOYER S.¹, WRATTEN S.D.², BOWIE M.¹

      
      

      ¹ Department of Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, PO Box 84, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
      ² Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
      e-mail: stephane.boyer@lincoln.ac.nz

      
      

      More than sixty years after the seminal work of Ken Lee, who listed 173 earthworm species endemic to New Zealand, recent studies have revealed that the diversity of New Zealand earthworms has been largely underestimated. This paper proposes taxonomic description, DNA barcoding and phylogeny of a new endemic species discovered on Quail Island (Otamahu). Maoridrilus otamahu was named after the maori name of this small island of volcanic origin that lies in Lyttleton harbour, between Christchurch and Banks Peninsula on the East Coast of New Zealand's South Island (43.63°S 172.69°E).
      
      Lee collected earthworms from numerous locations around the city of Christchurch and on Banks Peninsula, where he found a total of seven endemic earthworms species. Despite Quail Island being very close to these locations, the species described here was not reported by Lee. While M. otamahu was abundant on the island (up to 6.6 individuals per litre of soil), recent earthworm collections from 18 reserves of native forests and bush land on Banks Peninsula did not record its presence.
      
      At extreme low tide exposed mudflats connect Quail Island to the mainland on a few meters wide stripe. However, it is unlikely that earthworms have crossed this barrier since the last glaciations 20,000 years ago when sea level was significantly lower. M. otamahu is therefore likely to be restricted to the 81 hectares of Quail Island. Such a restricted distribution raises immediate concerns for the conservation of this species.

---

► BRIARD C.¹, QIU J.P.², GUERNION M.¹, ROUGÉ L.¹, BELLIDO A.¹, CLUZEAU D.¹

Morphology contribution to species distinction and phylogenetic interspecific relationship focusing on Lumbricidae family   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Morphology contribution to species distinction and phylogenetic interspecific relationship focusing on Lumbricidae family

      
      

      BRIARD C.¹, QIU J.P.², GUERNION M.¹, ROUGÉ L.¹, BELLIDO A.¹, CLUZEAU D.¹

      
      

      ¹Université Rennes 1, UMR CNRS EcoBio, Observatoire de Rennes - Station biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France
      ²Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Agricultural and Biological School, Resources and Environment Department, Shanghai, China
      e-mail: charlene.briard@univ-rennes1.fr, jpq@sjtu.edu.cn, muriel.guernion@univ-rennes1.fr, rouge.laurence@neuf.fr, bellido.alain@wanadoo.fr, daniel.cluzeau@univ-rennes1.fr

      
      

      Most of the available taxonomic classifications of lumbricids are based on morphological studies. The use of an automatic classification based on morphological characters could make the taxonomy work easier. The aim is to develop automatic classification techniques by using statistical processing and compare to the traditional classification. Species biological traits are extracted from the “Lombricien2000” database of the CNUSC (INRA, Montpellier, France) which contains all the data generated by the studies of M.B. Bouché since the 60s. Based on the morphological study of French lumbricids by Bouché (1972) and completed by Qiu (1998), 210 characters are available for each species described. In this work, quantitative and qualitative morphological characters of all the Lumbricidae species and subspecies were analysed by using statistical processing as: the Multiple Correspondence analysis to study the contribution of morphological characteristics to separate species and the Hierarchical Ascendant Classification and the maximum of parsimony to define interspecific relationships. By quantitative analysis of the differences existed between species, the characters diversity and the species differentiation direction in Lumbricidae is illustrated. Additional work of our study should be developed to test our different hypotheses, notably by applying a molecular study.

---

► BRIARD C.¹, QIU J.P.², GUERNION M.¹, ROUGÉ L.¹, CLUZEAU D.¹

Is the Nicodrilus genus (Bouché, 1972) really one genus? Phylogenetic study based on morphological and molecular characters of some Aporrectodea and Allolobophora species (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Is the Nicodrilus genus (Bouché, 1972) really one genus? Phylogenetic study based on morphological and molecular characters of some Aporrectodea and Allolobophora species (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

      
      

      BRIARD C.¹, QIU J.P.², GUERNION M.¹, ROUGÉ L.¹, CLUZEAU D.¹

      
      

      ¹Université Rennes 1, UMR CNRS EcoBio, Observatoire de Rennes - Station biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France
      ²Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Agricultural and Biological School, Resources and Environment Department, Shanghai, China
      e-mail: charlene.briard@univ-rennes1.fr, jpq@sjtu.edu.cn, muriel.guernion@univ-rennes1.fr, rouge.laurence@neuf.fr, daniel.cluzeau@univ-rennes1.fr

      
      

      The Nicodrilus genus defined by Bouché (1972) is not known by all of taxonomists and not accepted in the nomenclature according to ICZN; Aporrectodea term is used. However, according to Bouché, Aporrectodea and Allolobophora genera are not homogeneous and are supposed as polyphyletic genera. The aim is to study the phylogenetic structure of “Nicodrilus genus” in order to verify its cladistic nature and its taxonomical validity. In this work, we thus focus on species belonging to the Aporrectodea and Allolobophora genera. First, we use data stored in “Lombricien2000” database, representing the earthworm taxa collected and the morphological characteristics described by Bouché (1972) and Qiu (1998) for each species. Species life history traits are included among morphological characteristics (e.g. clitellum, puberculum and pores position, Morren’s gland, body size…). Then, we pursue a molecular approach on individuals sampled in France. Molecular phylogenetic analyses are based on the sequences of nuclear and mitochondrial gene regions and performed with maximum likelihood and bayesian inference. Statistical processings are realized on morphological data to compare information from molecular and morphological data to build phylogenetic relationship. Results will be discussed to define Nicodrilus, as described by Bouché, as a true genus (as a monophyletic one) or distributed into existing groups as Aporrectodea and Allolobophora.

---

► BROWN G.G.¹, JAMES S.W.², BARTZ M.L.C.³, BARETTA D.⁴, PEREIRA J.M.⁵, CARDOSO E.J.B.N.⁵, SILVA E.⁶, LIMA O.G.⁷

Earthworm diversity in Araucaria angustifolia forests in S and SE Brazil    [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm diversity in Araucaria angustifolia forests in S and SE Brazil

      
      

      BROWN G.G.¹, JAMES S.W.², BARTZ M.L.C.³, BARETTA D.⁴, PEREIRA J.M.⁵, CARDOSO E.J.B.N.⁵, SILVA E.⁶, LIMA O.G.⁷

      
      

      ¹Embrapa Florestas, Estrada da Ribeira, Km 111, Caixa Postal 319, CEP 83411-000, Colombo-PR, Brazil
      ²Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA
      ³Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Departamento de Agronomia, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 480, Caixa Postal 6001, CEP 86051-990, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
      ⁴Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Rua Benjamin Constant 84-E, Centro, 89806-070, Chapeco, SC, Brazil
      ⁵Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Departamento de Ciência do Solo. Av. Padua Dias 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
      ⁶Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
      ⁷Soil Science Dept., Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
      e-mail: browng@cnpf.embrapa.br, sjames@ku.edu, bartzmarie@gmail.com, dilmarbaretta@gmail.com, ejbncard@esalq.usp.br, elodie_dasilva@live.fr, professorodair@seed.pr.gov.br

      
      

      Araucaria angustifolia is a threatened tree species of the Mixed Ombrophyllous Forest (also known as the Araucaria forest), found in the S and SE regions of Brazil. Originally, Araucaria forests covered about 250 000 km² in Brazil, but today only 32 000 km² remain. From 2005 to 2010, earthworm density and diversity were evaluated in various fragments with native forest and Araucaria plantations in the states of Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, Parana, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. A total of 60 sites were sampled qualitatively and 8 quantitatively. Approximately 60 species were encountered, of which ~10 were exotic (mainly Amynthas corticis, A. gracilis, M. schmardae, Dichogaster spp. and Pontoscolex corethrurus) and the rest native. Most (~45 spp.) were Glossoscolecidae, mainly in the genus Glossoscolex (~30 spp.) and Fimoscolex (~10 spp.). Abundance of native species was generally very low. When abundance was high, it was mainly of the exotics A. corticis or A. gracilis and P. corethrurus. Plantations can harbor native species, but they tend to support more exotics (greater richness and abundance). Native forest, especially when well preserved (little disturbance), was more likely to have only native species, or a mixture of both native and exotic species.

---

► BROWN G.G.¹ and JAMES S.W.²

Earthworm biodiversity in Brazil: Current status and future perspectives   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm biodiversity in Brazil: Current status and future perspectives

      
      

      BROWN G.G.¹ and JAMES S.W.²

      
      

      ¹Embrapa Florestas, Estrada da Ribeira, Km 111, Caixa Postal 319, CEP 83411-000, Colombo-PR, Brazil
      ²Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA
      e-mail: browng@cnpf.embrapa.br; sjames@ku.edu

      
      

      Approximately 275 described species/subspecies of earthworms are known from Brazil, although ~1400 species are estimated to exist. Most species are native (85%) and only 15% are exotic. The majority belong to Glossoscolecidae (66%), Ocnerodrilidae (15%) and Acanthodrilidae (8%). Most native species show restricted distributions and high endemicity, while exotic species have extensively colonized disturbed habitats. Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857), probably native to N Brazil, is a peregrine invasive throughout the rest of the country and is the most abundant and well-known Brazilian earthworm. More than 50 species of large (>30 cm length, >1cm diam.) earthworms (minhocuçus) inhabit Brazilian soils. Several of them are harvested and widely commercialized as fish bait; many families derive their income from this practice. Many species live in semi-aquatic conditions that represent refuges for earthworm survival in highly modified landscapes. Many new species have been collected recently, but further sampling efforts are necessary, especially in NE, far S, Central and N Brazil. Earthworms have been sampled quantitatively in a large variety of ecosystems, both natural and disturbed, but rarely identified. Earthworms are abundant in no-tillage agroecosystems, pastures and chronically-wet soils like rice-paddies, where species diversity ranges from low to high, depending on the site. In forest ecosystems, diversity is generally high, but abundance low. Studies of the effects of native and exotic species on soils, ecosystem function and biodiversity are needed, considering the extent of invasion, and increasing human pressure on land use and natural resources. Nevertheless, this is hampered by the lack of knowledge of their biology and ecology as well as the lack of trained taxonomists and earthworm researchers in Brazil.

---

► BROWN G.G.¹, FEIJOO A.², CALLAHAM M.A. Jr.³

Impacts of the Latin American Meetings on Oligochaete Ecology and Taxonomy (ELAETAO) on earthworm and enchytraeid research in Latin America   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Impacts of the Latin American Meetings on Oligochaete Ecology and Taxonomy (ELAETAO) on earthworm and enchytraeid research in Latin America

      
      

      BROWN G.G.¹, FEIJOO A.², CALLAHAM M.A. Jr.³

      
      

      ¹Embrapa Florestas, Estrada da Ribeira, Km 111, Caixa Postal 319, CEP 83411-000, Colombo-PR, Brazil
      ²Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Apartador Aéreo 97, Pereira - Colombia
      ³USDA-Forest Service, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-2044, USA
      e-mail: browng@cnpf.embrapa.br, alexfeijoo@gmail.com or afeijoo@utp.edu.co, mcallaham@fs.fed.us

      
      

      Four Latin American Meetings on Oligochaete Ecology and Taxonomy have been held since 2003: ELAETAO1 (Londrina, Brazil, Dec. 2003), ELAETAO2 (San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nov. 2005), ELAETAO3 (Curtiba, Brazil, Dec. 2007) and ELAETAO4 (Curitiba, Oct. 2010). These unique fora brought together >80 researchers, students and technicians from >12 countries and resulted in several important publications (3 special journal issues and one book), helping to synthesize the work performed in the Americas. Topics addressed include the diversity and distribution of native and exotic earthworm species in all Latin American countries, the use of oligochaetes as bioindicators, oligochaete genetics and phylogeny, various aspects of vermiculture, earthworm and enchytraeid sampling methods, and ecology and biology of invasive species, among others. At each ELAETAO, workshops have been held on specific topics, leading to syntheses of current knowledge and the main research challenges for the future. An interactive and synthetic web-site is presently under construction to facilitate identification of exotic earthworms and disseminate knowledge on earthworm ecology. Since the first ELAETAO, regular training in taxonomy has been offered (6 earthworm and 2 Enchytraeid short courses) aiding in the capacity building of scientists and students in the field. The ELAETAO have greatly stimulated Oligochaete ecology and taxonomy research in the Americas, but language barriers and taxonomic impediments continue to hinder the wider dissemination of Latin America Oligochaete research.

---

► CHANABUN R.¹, BANTAOWONG U.¹, TONGKERD P.¹, PRASANKOK P.², SUTCHARIT C.¹, JAMES S.W.³ and PANHA S.¹

The first record of the semi-aquatic earthworm Glyphidrilus Horst, 1889 from the Mekong River   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • The first record of the semi-aquatic earthworm Glyphidrilus Horst, 1889 from the Mekong River

      
      

      CHANABUN R.¹, BANTAOWONG U.¹, TONGKERD P.¹, PRASANKOK P.², SUTCHARIT C.¹, JAMES S.W.³ and PANHA S.¹

      
      

      ¹Animals Systematics Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
      ²Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
      ³ University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Drive, Lawrence, KS66045, USA
      e-mail: ¹cratmanee@yahoo.com, somsak.Pan@chula.ac.th

      
      

      The first species of semi-aquatic earthworm of the genus Glyphidrilus Horst, 1889 has been discovered from the Mekong River bank at Kong Jiam District, Ubon Rachathani province, northeastern Thailand. It is classified as a medium-sized worm characterized by a body with a length of 120-135 mm and 220-230 segments. The wing organ whose height ranges between 8 and 9 mm is located on the segments 24-34. The male, female and spermathecal pores are not visible in both live and preserved specimens. Four pairs of seminal vesicle appear at segments 9-12 while ovary occurs at segments 13-14. The lack of internal characters, such as spermatheca and prostate gland, raises the question as to how the worms copulate and transfer sperm. It is unclear at present if this striking difference from the spermatheca and prostate gland present in other species represents an unusual adaptation to their aquatic lives, or is an error of identification. After comparing with the close related type species, the Mekong River species is proposed as a new to science.

---

► CHANG C.-H.¹, CHIH W.-J.², SHEN H.-P.³, SZLAVECZ K.¹, CHEN I-H.², CHUANG S.-C.², CHEN J.-H.²

Earthworm taxonomy needs DNA barcoding, or vice versa?   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm taxonomy needs DNA barcoding, or vice versa?

      
      

      CHANG C.-H.¹, CHIH W.-J.², SHEN H.-P.³, SZLAVECZ K.¹, CHEN I-H.², CHUANG S.-C.², CHEN J.-H.²

      
      

      ¹Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
      ²Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
      ³Habitat and Ecosystem Division, Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou, Taiwan
      e-mail: yuanpau@gmail.com

      
      

      In recent years, the concept of DNA barcoding has attracted the attention and research efforts of earthworm taxonomists. The numbers of DNA barcode papers and sequences of earthworms have grown exponentially. However, with the numbers of barcode records accumulating in GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), challenges regarding species delimitation, undescribed species diversity, and morphology-based species identification have emerged. Here we present a summary of Taiwanese earthworm studies based on 8122 specimens deposited at the National Taiwan University (NTU), and 751 barcode records from specimens deposited at NTU and Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute. The results indicate that both the DNA barcode-only approach and an approach that combines taxonomy and parataxonomy overestimate species diversity. In many cases, species delimitation based on both morphology and DNA barcodes is still difficult due to the high variations in not only morphology but also the barcode sequences. We further argued that the current earthworm DNA barcoding approaches are biased towards collecting specimens and barcode records without sufficient involvement of taxonomists and taxonomic expertise. While the barcode records from the claimed new species become publicly available, the “new” species in the specimen jars remain associated with only a temporary name or identifying number, undescribed, and unnamed. In addition, the correctness of names in the database relies almost entirely on the sequence provider without any quality control, which may make the database unreliable as a species identification platform. Therefore, we suggest that in order to make earthworm species identification using DNA barcodes practically applicable, earthworm taxonomists need to be more actively involved in the DNA barcoding studies and taxonomy needs to become a more significant part in the barcoding procedure.

---

► COŞKUN Y.¹, PAVLÍČEK T.²and CSUZDI Cs.³

Biodiversity of earthworms in the Diyarbakır region (Upper Mesopotamia), Eastern Turkey   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Biodiversity of earthworms in the Diyarbakır region (Upper Mesopotamia), Eastern Turkey

      
      

      COŞKUN Y.¹, PAVLÍČEK T.²and CSUZDI Cs.³

      
      

      ¹Dicle Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, 21280-Diyarbakır, Turkey
      ²Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
      ³Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Baross u. 13, H-1431 Budapest pf. 137, Hungary
      e-mail: ¹yukselc@dicle.edu.tr, ²contact@tomas-pavlicek-biologie.net, ³csuzdi@nhmus.hu

      
      

      Only 11 species of earthworms are recorded so far in the Diyarbakır region (Upper Mesopotamia). This represents 14% of the earthworm species richness known in the East Mediterranean region. The recorded species belong to two families (Lumbricidae and Acanthodrilidae) and are to be found also in other regions of Turkey and in the Levant. However, Eisenia n. sp. and Dendrobaena n. sp., currently under description, indicate a possible presence of local endemics as well. There is a need for additional survey of earthworms in the Diyarbakır region.

---

► CUENDET G.

Colonization of Alpine soils by the earthworm Nicodrilus nocturnus: a problem for the agriculture   [oral presentation and poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Colonization of Alpine soils by the earthworm Nicodrilus nocturnus: a problem for the agriculture

      
      

      CUENDET G.

      
      

      Zoocontrol, 1675 Vauderens, Switzerland
      e-mail: gerard.cuendet@bluewin.ch

      
      

      The earthworm Nicodrilus (Apporectodea) nocturnus, which is a dominant species in the earthworm populations of the Western Swiss Alpine soils, is still colonizing the Eastern part of the Swiss Alps, where its particularly large amount of casts disturbs grassland management. Nutritional competition with Lumbricus terrestris is probably the reason of this high production of casts. In some regions (Canton of Grisons), this production lessens after a twenty years period, and does not affect any more grassland management. It is not the case in a region with a particularly wet climate (Toggenburg), where farmers are still complaining. Researches are carried on to understand the reasons of the difference and to try to adapt grassland management to this situation.

---

► DOMÍNGUEZ J.

Phylogenetic assessment of the family Lumbricidae based on morphological characters and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.   []

---

► DOMÍNGUEZ J.

Phylogenetic assessment of the genus Postandrilus based on morphological characters and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.   []

---

► EZZATPANAH S., LATIF R. and MALEK M.

Species richness and zoogeographic affinities of earthworms in Iran   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Species richness and zoogeographic affinities of earthworms in Iran

      
      

      EZZATPANAH S., LATIF R. and MALEK M.

      
      

      School of Biology, University College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
      e-mail: s.ezzatpanah@gmail.com, robabeh.latif@gmail.com, mmalek@khayam.ut.ac.ir

      
      

      The earthworm fauna of Iran is poorly known. So far, recorded are 18 species, 11 genera and two families (Lumbricidae and Megascolecidae). Out of all recorded species 61% (11 species) are introduced and 39% (seven species) could be autochthonous: Aporrectodea jassyensis, Dendrobaena byblica complex, D. schmidti, D. veneta, Helodrilus patriarchalis, Healyella syriaca and Perelia kaznakovi. Native worms are found only in the narrow geographical region north of Elburz and Zagros Mountains. After uplifting, the mountain ranges have served as a natural geographic barrier preventing migration of the natives to the internal parts of Iran. The most speciose area in Iran located in the North West of the country might have earthworm exchange with Anatolia. A comparison of native species shows a high faunal (more than 85%) similarity between Iran and Anatolia.

---

► FOURNIER B.^1,2,3, SAMARITANI E.^1,2, SHRESTHA J.², LE BAYON R.-C.¹ and MITCHELL E. A.D.^1,2,3

Community ecology of earthworms in a restored floodplain and potential as bioindicators of river restoration   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Community ecology of earthworms in a restored floodplain and potential as bioindicators of river restoration

      
      

      FOURNIER B.^1,2,3, SAMARITANI E.^1,2, SHRESTHA J.², LE BAYON R.-C.¹ and MITCHELL E. A.D.^1,2,3

      
      

      ¹Laboratory of Soil Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      ²Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Wetlands Research Group, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      ³Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Ecological Systems, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      e-mail: bertrand.fournier@unine.ch

      
      

      Floodplains are increasingly being restored worldwide. However, many knowledge gaps remain about the ecological impact of these restorations on the terrestrial biota and more particularly on soil fauna. Our focus here is on earthworms. In flood prone areas, earthworms have evolved different strategies to cope with inundated soils. However, little is known about their diversity and ecology in floodplains and even less on the impact of floodplain restoration on earthworms and the degree to which they may be useful as indicators of restoration success. This works aims at 1) characterising the patterns of earthworm density, biomass, species richness, diversity and community structure in a restored floodplain (gravel to floodplain forest habitats) in Switzerland in comparison with an adjacent unrestored section (pasture), 2) assessing the relationships between these variables and spatial (elevation, PCNM), structural (percentage cover of different vegetation strata, litter, dead wood, etc., and topsoil particle size distribution) and functional variables (C and N content of the topsoil); and 3) decoupling and comparing the three components of earthworms diversity: “taxonomic”, functional, and genetic.

---

► GHAYOUMI, R.¹, LATIF, R.²

First recorded earthworms from the Mouteh Wildlife Refuge, Iran   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • First recorded earthworms from the Mouteh Wildlife Refuge, Iran

      
      

      GHAYOUMI, R.¹, LATIF, R.²

      
      

      ¹Environmental Sciences Dept., College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University, Arak branch, Arak, Iran
      ²School of Biology, University College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
      e-mail: ¹r-ghayoumi@iau-arak.ac.ir ²Robabeh.latif@gmail.com

      
      

      In the present study, we report results of earthworms survey in the Mouteh Wildlife Refuge based on samples collected from 15 stations in April 2010. This region, arid to semi-arid and warm in summer, encompassing about 220 000 ha of the natural reserve, is located in the northwestern part of the Isfahan province, south of the Markazi province. We selected this region for survey because it is located far from human activities. Therefore, we expect that the refuge border served as barrier preventing human-based earthworm introductions.
      
      Recorded earthworms belong to three genera from the family Lumbricidae (Rafinesque-Schmaltz 1815), and include the following five species: Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny 1826), A. rosea (Savigny 1826), Dendrobaena hortensis (Michaelsen 1890), D. veneta (Rosa 1886), Eiseniella tetraedra(Savigny 1826).

---

► GLASSTETTER M.

Lumbricids of Swiss urban habitats   [oral presentation]

---

► GOBI M. and GUNASEKARAN P.

Heavy metal induced metabolomic and genotoxic changes in earthworm Eisenia fetida   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Heavy metal induced metabolomic and genotoxic changes in earthworm Eisenia fetida

      
      

      GOBI M. and GUNASEKARAN P.

      
      

      Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai- 625021, Tamilnadu, India
      e-mail: gobic2001@yahoo.com

      
      

      A vibrational [Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)] spectroscopic method was used for the structural and compositional analysis of earthworm Eisenia fetida to monitor metal binding and its further transformations in live cells. The FTIR analyses of metals digested by E. fetida will be useful to study the impact of the heavy metal stress on worm metabolism. In our experiment, the epigeic earthworm E. fetida was exposed to 100%, 75%, 50%, 30%, 25%, 15% and 5% of automobile service station waste mud. Metabolic response after exposure to each concentration level of the waste mud was assessed by the FTIR on 10 animals with three replicates. The peaks at 1045 cm⁻¹, 1080 cm⁻¹, 1236 cm⁻¹ and 1650 cm⁻¹ represented the overall susceptibility of nucleotides, phospholipids, DNA and RNA to the present metals. As a matter of fact, structure of nucleic acids and proteins was modified due to heavy metal accumulation. We demonstrated nuclear DNA degradation by means of flow-through, DNA ladder assay, and single cell gel electrophoresis. Heavy metals accumulation in the worms was measured and as expected lead, zinc and copper accumulation increased in the treated group.

---

► GOBI M. and GUNASEKARAN P.

Extended distribution range of Glyphidrilus annandalei in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger reserve, Tamilnadu and its molecular phylogeny   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Extended distribution range of Glyphidrilus annandalei in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger reserve, Tamilnadu and its molecular phylogeny

      
      

      GOBI M. and GUNASEKARAN P.

      
      

      Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-21, Tamilnadu, India
      e-mail: gobic2001@yahoo.com

      
      

      Earthworms are found in all terrestrial ecosystem including swamps and deserts. The first modern record of earthworms in the Indian subcontinent was provided by Templeton (1844). There are sporadic reports on the study of earthworm fauna from several unexplored regions in the Indian subcontinent. However reports on the occurrence and biology of earthworms in Tamilnadu are lacking. Since the earthworms of the Southern Western Ghats remain largely unexplored the present study was carried out. In the present study were collected earthworm samples from Gadana river (Kalakkad- Mundanthurai Tiger reserve forest), identified morphologically and by molecular analysis of the 16S DNA region. After test showed that the combined morphology and 16S data facilitate the description of these species we initiated a project on the Indian earthworm’s molecular phylogeny.

---

► GRAEFE U., BEYLICH A.

First record of the aquatic earthworm Sparganophilus tamesis Benham, 1892 (Clitellata, Sparganophilidae) in Germany    [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • First record of the aquatic earthworm Sparganophilus tamesis Benham, 1892 (Clitellata, Sparganophilidae) in Germany

      
      

      GRAEFE U., BEYLICH A.

      
      

      IFAB Institute for Applied Soil Biology, Hamburg, Germany
      e-mail: ulfert.graefe@ifab-hamburg.de

      
      

      In sediments of the river Alster in Hamburg we found a large population of  a curious earthworm which we could identify as Sparganophilus tamesis Benham, 1892, hitherto unknown from Germany. After the first description from England the species was described several times under different names from North and Central America (Smith 1895, Eisen 1896) and from France (Tétry 1934). The synonymy of these species was repeatedly reviewed (e.g. Cernosvitov 1945, Jamieson 1971). Sparganophilus langi Bouché & Qiu, 1998, from Switzerland (Lake Geneva) is probably also a junior synonym of Sparganophilus tamesis. Its description as new species is apparently due to a misleading characterization of S. tamesis in the key given by Reynolds (1980).
      
      Sparganophilus tamesisseems to have persistent populations in Europe. It is arguable whether this distribution should be explained by past geological relations between the American and European continents (Cernosvitov 1945, Omodeo 1963, Bouché & Qiu 1998) or by accidental importation (Benham 1892, Gates 1982, Sims & Gerard 1985, Reynolds 2008).

---

► HADID Y. and PAVLÍČEK T.

Time estimation of branching events on phylogenetic trees in earthworms   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Time estimation of branching events on phylogenetic trees in earthworms

      
      

      HADID Y. and PAVLÍČEK T.

      
      

      Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
      e-mail: yarin.hadid@gmail.com, contact@tomas-pavlicek-biologie.net

      
      

      Estimation of time when a branching event recorded on a phylogenetic tree took place is easy under the assumption of constant substitution rate (strict molecular clock). As a matter of fact, the substitution rates are heterogeneous among lineages and clades, i.e., among species and populations. In such a scenario dating might still be possible by means of a relaxed molecular clock model if relevant sequences of fossil DNA and/or calibration points (e.g., fossil records) are available. Unfortunately, this is not often the case in earthworms which are soft-bodied organisms. Here, we explore whether in earthworms correcting the substitution rate for differences in body mass and in temperature of their environment could help to estimate the timing of branching events.

---

► HAVLICEK E.

Do really politicians need earthworms?   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Do really politicians need earthworms?

      
      

      HAVLICEK E.

      
      

      Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Berne, Switzerland
      e-mail: elena.havlicek@bafu.admin.ch

      
      

      Whereas water and air have been receiving ongoing care and attention from scientific institutions and from legislative management for last decades, soils and their inhabitants, until recently, did not benefit from such interest. Doubtlessly, they are now recognized for their high biodiversity but in fact, the soil biology is still widely unknown. Moreover, the fact is that soils are not only a milieu for living organisms, they are also formed by these organisms and without their presence soils cannot develop. Determining and monitoring soil biodiversity is far from completion; nevertheless, in order to achieve soil protection goals at policy level, bioindicators such as earthworm diversity or microbial respiration - even imperfect - are being implemented. The choice of accurate tools is challenging because beside biological parameters, socioeconomic factors, such as effectiveness, inexpensiveness, or capacity to provide information, are to be considered.
      
      The way leading from fundamental science to implementation is still not completely cleared, particularly in the soil biota domain. Reasons can be found out in the lack of scientific knowledge but also in the multifunctional use of soils that leads to divergent interest related either to soil quantity (m²) or to soil quality (m³).

---

► JAMES S.¹ and CHANG C.-H.²

A molecular analysis of diversity within the Pheretima darnleiensis species group   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • A molecular analysis of diversity within the Pheretima darnleiensis species group

      
      

      JAMES S.¹ and CHANG C.-H.²

      
      

      ¹Department of Biology, University of Iowa
      ²Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
      e-mail: sjames@ku.edu, yuanpau@gmail.com

      
      

      Pheretima darnleiensis was described from material collected on the very small Darnley Island, in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua-New Guinea. When Sims and Easton revised the Pheretima complex of genera in 1972, they created a provisional species group containing this species and some other Pheretima (Pheretima) with 4 pairs of spermathecae. They placed several species from Indonesia and the Philippines in the synonymy of P. darnleiensis, and this synonymy has since grown to encompass all Pheretima with 4 or 5 pairs of spermathecae, and some with three pairs. The discovery in the Philippines of many earthworms assignable to the provisional species group led us to consider the hypothesis that the darnleiensis group consists of more than one species. We present phylogenetic trees based on data from the mitochondrial COI, 12s 16s genes and the nuclear ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 region. These trees and a separate analysis of the COI barcode section show that there are many independent lineages on the Philippines, and that these have geographic structure consistent with endemicity. Therefore we reject the hypothesis that all darnleiensis-group members belong to a very broad concept of the nominal species. Furthermore, a parsimonious interpretation of character evolution indicates that within the clade containing the species-group, some lineages have reduced spermathecal batteries, which would place them in other provisional species groups of Sims and Easton (1972). However they are unified by a morphological feature in the copulatory pouches.

---

► JAMES S.¹, ERSEUS Ch.², PORCO D.³ and DECAËNS Th.³

Cryptic diversity and the taxonomy of Savigny's earthworms   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Cryptic diversity and the taxonomy of Savigny's earthworms

      
      

      JAMES S.¹, ERSEUS Ch.², PORCO D.³ and DECAËNS Th.³

      
      

      ¹Department of Biology, University of Iowa
      ² Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
      ³Laboratoire ECODIV 1293, University of Rouen, France
      e-mail: sjames@ku.edu

      
      

      Several of the dozen or so species described by Savigny in 1826 contain cryptic or semicryptic lineages, as detected by the COI DNA barcode region. This raises questions about the taxonomic status of the lineages. Given that these are among the most widely distributed invasive Lumbricidae, a revision of their taxonomy will have important implications for ecological and other studies using these earthworms. We have the opportunity to obtain molecular data from Savigny's type material and to compare these data to that obtainable from freshly collected material from the type location. For the present, we are able to make a morphological comparison of representatives of the known DNA barcode lineages in three of Savigny's species (Allolobophora chlorotica, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and Ap. rosea) to the topotypic material recently collected. These comparisons indicate that as in the case of Lumbricus terrestris and L. herculeus, molecular markers will be more reliable than morphology.

---

► KAYGORODOVA I.

New Enchytraeidae species from East Siberia (Russia)    []

---

► KAYGORODOVA I.

Molecular phylogeny in Systematics of Oligochaeta: Pros and Cons.   []

---

► KAYGORODOVA I.

Demographic history of Baikal oligochaete populations   []

---

► MAITY S. and CHAUDHURY S.

Defence against fly ash induced antioxidant stresses in earthworm Lampito mauritii   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Defence against fly ash induced antioxidant stresses in earthworm Lampito mauritii

      
      

      MAITY S. and CHAUDHURY S.

      
      

      Centre for Environmental Studies, Siksha-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan- 731235, India
      e-mail: maitys.vb@gmail.com, shibani.chaudhury@visva-bharati.ac.in

      
      

      Earthworms have evolved effective defense mechanisms to maintain a balance between the generation and degradation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to counteract the oxidative damage caused by various xenobiotics. The family of enzymes, Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) plays a pivotal role in the inactivation of electrophillic xenobiotics by catalyzing their conjugation reaction with the reduced glutathione (GSH). Fly ash is an unavoidable by-product of any coal based operations and its matrix is essentially inorganic in nature (primarily oxides of Si, Al, Fe and traces of toxic metals like As, Cd, Bi, Hg etc). Thus prior to application of fly ash for developmental activities (such as agricultural purposes and as landfills), it requires bio-monitoring and risk characterization. In order to achieve this objective adult Lampito mauritii were exposed to different proportion of fly ash for 28 days. The GSH level and GST activity in earthworms were assessed following the spectrophotometric methods of Ellman et al. (1959) and Habig et al. (1974) respectively. The results revealed a significant perturbation in GSH level and GST activity in Lampito mauritii indicating that GSH-GST system is involved in inactivation of free radicals and ROS metabolites in earthworms. It is thus concluded that the sensitivity of this biochemical responses observed in Lampito mauritii exposed to fly ash could be used as biomarkers of exposure.

---

► MEZHZHERIN S.V.¹, GARBAR A.², KOTSYUBA I.Y.², VLASENKO R.P.²

The hypervariability in parthenogenetic species of earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • The hypervariability in parthenogenetic species of earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

      
      

      MEZHZHERIN S.V.¹, GARBAR A.², KOTSYUBA I.Y.², VLASENKO R.P.²

      
      

      ¹Dep. Evol. Genet. Basis of Systematics. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, B. Khmelnytskogo 15, Kiev 01601, Ukraine
      ²I. Franko State Zhytomyr University, Velyka Berdychevska St., 40, Zhytomyr 10008, Ukraine
      e-mail: ¹mezh@izan.kiev.ua, ²saguaroklub@mail.ru

      
      

      The analysis of allozyme variability in parthenogenetic earthworms testifies to unusually high clone diversity of the most species. And multi-locus system of nonspecific esterase turned out to be so changeable that practically every researched geographic population was represented with its unique set of clones. Thus, out of 224 researched specimens of A. rosea 96 clones were identified (average quantity of specimens for one clone - 2,33); out of 267 specimens of D. octaedra 107 clones were identified (average quantity of specimens for one clone – 2,5); out of 436 specimens of E.  tetraedra 123 clones were identified (average quantity of specimens for one clone – 3,26). It is symptomatic that most biotypes were represented with single specimen. Taking into account small part of the species researched areal, it is possible to make a conclusion that in the whole areal the number of clones of every parthenogenetic earthworm species will be beyond all calculation. Such a high level of variability exceeds normal mutation and should be qualified as hypervariability. Apparently, its reason is the meiosis infringement and the extensive intragenic recombination it caused.

---

► MOREIRA N.¹, BULLINGER-WEBER G.², GUENAT C.³, LE BAYON R.C.⁴

Earthworm communities as an indicator of river restoration success, the case of Emme river (canton Bern, Switzerland)   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm communities as an indicator of river restoration success, the case of Emme river (canton Bern, Switzerland)

      
      

      MOREIRA N.¹, BULLINGER-WEBER G.², GUENAT C.³, LE BAYON R.C.⁴

      
      

      ¹Laboratory Soil and Vegetation, University of Neuchâtel, Emile Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      ²Biogeosciences Laboratory, Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      ³Laboratory of Ecological Systems - ECOS, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology WSL-EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      ¹Laboratory Soil and Vegetation, University of Neuchâtel, Emile Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      e-mail: ¹nathalie.moreira@unine.ch,²geraldine.bullinger@unil.ch, ³claire.guenat@epfl.ch, ⁴claire.lebayon@unine.ch

      
      

      Braided rivers were in the past one of the most typical landscapes of Swiss valleys. Since the middle of the 19th century, they have gradually disappeared. In the last 20 years, the number of river restoration projects aiming to re-establish the structure and ecological functions of floodplains has increased. There is now a lack of methodology to evaluate the success of these projects.
      
      As earthworms play a key role in the functioning of soil ecosystem we suppose that their communities may reflect the restored fluvial functioning. The aim of this study was to describe earthworm communities and to use them as indicators of restoration evaluation. The Emme River is one of the first restoration projects in Switzerland (mean altitude of 500 m, estimated discharge of 19 m³/s, calcareous alluvial deposits). Six soil units (3 replicates) were statistically selected, reflecting the floodplain soil diversity. Earthworms were collected in September 2010 using the mustard extraction (3x50 cm²) and “hand sorting” methods. Earthworms were identified at species level, classified according to the ecological categories, individually counted and weighted. These data will be compared to data obtained in a near natural system in order to evaluate the progress of this site towards a more natural fluvial functioning.

---

► OMODEO O., ROTA E.

Problems concerning the taxonomy of the genera Allolobophora, Aporrectodea and Microeophila   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Problems concerning the taxonomy of the genera Allolobophora, Aporrectodea and Microeophila

      
      

      OMODEO O., ROTA E.

      
      

      Dept. Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
      e-mail: omodeo.pietro@libero.it, rota@unisi.it

      
      

      The genus Allolobophora was created by Eisen in 1874 and was accepted by Rosa (1893) and by Michaelsen (1900) that downgraded it to subgenus of Helodrilus. Svetlov (1924) re-elevated the taxon to genus rank and then Pop (1941) redefined it. Omodeo (1956), considering the genus overcrowded and heterogeneous, removed from it the genera Eophila and Eiseniona and split Allolobophora into three subgenera: Cernosvitovia, Microeophila and Allolobophora, recognizing in the latter three groups of species and selecting A. chlorotica as the type species. Bouché (1972) accepted Allolobophora but removed from it the genera Nicodrilus (with type species N. terrestris) and Scherotheca. In 1975, Gates removed from Allolobophora nearly all species, assigning them to the genus Aporrectodea Oerley (1885), selecting as type species Lumbricus trapezoides Dugès (1828); the latter is rarely considered a good species and is rather included as a subspecies or a parthenogenetic clone, some specialists suggest that it does not exist at all (Bouché 1972: 327). Thus we judge it convenient to select a different type for the genus Aporrectodea. This change would have the advantage of reallocating the species group Enterion caliginosum to a different position, since in Aporrectodea it occupies an abnormal position. Indeed caliginosum is characterized by two exclusive characters not present in any diagnosis of Aporrectodea, nor in any other species of this genus. Lastly we observe that Mršić in his monograh (1991) placed after Microeophila the genus Panoniona, whose diagnosis is almost the same. We propose to merge the two genera into one using the name of either Microeophila or Panoniona.

---

► OUAHRANI G.¹, GHERIBI-AOULMI Z.², BELMOULAY, N.¹, BOUAFIA, N.¹

Demo-ecology of earthworms inhabiting natural habitats in the Mazouzi Lakhdar olive farm in the region of Redjas, wilaya of Mila, Eastern Algeria.    []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Demo-ecology of earthworms inhabiting natural habitats in the Mazouzi Lakhdar olive farm in the region of Redjas, wilaya of Mila, Eastern Algeria.

      
      

      OUAHRANI G.¹, GHERIBI-AOULMI Z.², BELMOULAY, N.¹, BOUAFIA, N.¹

      
      

      ¹Laboratoire d'Écologie n° 7, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université de Constantine, 25000, Algeria.
      ²Laboratoire de Mathématiques appliquées et Modélisation, Université de Constantine, 25000, Algeria.
      e-mail: ¹ouahranighania@hotmail.com ²gheribiz@yahoo.fr

      
      

      The purpose of our work has been the study of the demo-ecology of earthworms inhabiting natural habitats in the Mazouzi Lakhdar olive farm in the region Redjas, wilaya of Mila, Algeria. At the farm we established four representative stations: Draa-1, Chabchoube-A, Chabchoube-B, and Chabchoube-C. At the stations, the strikingly calcareous ground has a very good porosity; pH is slightly alkaline, electric conductivity is about an average, and organic matter is decomposed well.
      
      At the olive farm Mazouzi Lakhdar we found three species: Octodrilus complanatus, Apporrectodea trapezoides and Allolobophora rosea with average density 74±53 ind/m² and the biomass of 40±49 g/m². We observed that earthworm biomass and the proportion of non-adult specimens are higher in autumn than in spring. It means that earthworms reproduce both in autumn and in spring; however the reproduction is better in autumn. By other words, the spatial distribution of earthworms at the studied station is an aggregate.

---

► PANHA S.¹, CHANABUN R.¹, BANTAOWONG U.¹, TONGKERD P.¹, PRASANKOK P.² and SUTCHARIT C.¹

Aspects of the biology of the semi-aquatic earthworms in the genus Glyphidrilus Horst, 1889    [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Aspects of the biology of the semi-aquatic earthworms in the genus Glyphidrilus Horst, 1889

      
      

      PANHA S.¹, CHANABUN R.¹, BANTAOWONG U.¹, TONGKERD P.¹, PRASANKOK P.² and SUTCHARIT C.¹

      
      

      ¹Animals Systematics Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. ²Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
      e-mail: somsak.Pan@chula.ac.th

      
      

      The morphological and habitat characteristics of the semi-aquatic earthworms of the genus Glyphidrilus are a potential model system for evaluating the habitat-dependent biological differentiation within aquatic, and between aquatic and terrestrial habitats when compared to the terrestrial species. Semi-aquatic earthworms were collected from banks of rivers, canals and ponds in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos, and initially separated to more than 15 morphospecies. Currently, these have been further separated to almost 50 new and already recognized species. Regardless of their species status, we divided the collected earthworms into three groups by their body length, small (≤ 70 mm), medium (70 - 140 mm) and large (≥141 mm) sized. Body size correlated with their wing organ size, and then these groups were correlated to their natural (i.e. collected from) habitat. Most identified specimens were medium sized, and those were found on the banks with a sandy mud substrates and water flow condition. Muddy clay strata below stagnant water corresponded with the location of the smaller sized worms and only a few large sized worms were found on the river banks in muddy sand substrates. Large sized species contain higher wing organs.
      
      The worms arrange their bodies vertically in the substrate with their heads orientated downwards, and show vertical movement within their tunnel. Almost all of the body is submerged within the water that penetrates into the tunnel nests. From the examination of the gut contents of preserved samples, it appears that earthworms ingest organic matter and tiny organisms, such as plankton. Whether these are ingested incidentally (accidentally), or are actively eaten as selected prey, however, remains to be evaluated.
      
      The lack of internal organs such as prostate gland and spermathecae in many species, raises the question as to how these earthworms copulate and transfer sperm. It is unclear at present if missing spermatheca and prostrate glands represents an unusual adaptation to their aquatic lives in comparison to terrestrial earthworms, or is a human error of mis-identification. In addition, the long cocoon character is a better form for worms for their widespread dispersal and is totally different from the spherical shape found in terrestrial earthworms. The wing organ is the dominant or unique structure for Glyphidrilus and is believed to function as a gas exchange organ but we propose that it may also support the worm’s body while it exhibits vertical movement or navigation.

---

► PAVLÍČEK T.¹ and CSUZDI Cs.²

Biodiversity of earthworms in French Guiana   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Biodiversity of earthworms in French Guiana

      
      

      PAVLÍČEK T.¹ and CSUZDI Cs.²

      
      

      ¹Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
      ²Systematic Zoology Research Group of HAS and Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
      e-mail: ¹contact@tomas-pavlicek-biologie.net, ²csuzdi@nhmus.hu

      
      

      The taxonomic diversity of earthworms in Eastern Amazonia is almost unknown. In humid tropical French Guiana (83,534 km^²) 17 identified earthworm species have been recorded of which more than 50% are introduced. Apart from one larger earthworm sample collected in French Guiana at the first half of 20th century all literature records are limited to description of one or a few species. During our biodiversity survey, focused mainly on the Nouragues Natural Reserve (http://www.nouragues.cnrs.fr/index.html) that is encompassing an area of 1000 km² of “pristine” evergreen humid tropical rain forest, we collected abundant material including new taxa. So far, we have described (in press) one new genus comprising three species. Two of them are new to science and were collected at the Nouragues Natural Reserve. The third species known from northern Brazil was accommodated in the genus Andiorrhinus before it was transferred to the new genus. Regarding of the genus Martiodrilus the revision of the collected samples provides evidence about the presence of (i) two species recorded earlier (M. duodenarius (Michaelsen, 1918), M. tenkatei (Horst, 1887)); (ii) one species firstly recorded in F. Guiana (M. helleri (Michaelsen, 1918) and (iii) two species new to science.

---

► PLISKO J.D.

Notes on systematic status of the family Microchaetidae   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Notes on systematic status of the family Microchaetidae

      
      

      PLISKO J.D.

      
      

      Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg 3200, South Africa; School of Biological & Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
      e-mail: jdplisko@saol.com

      
      

      Presented is a draft discussing historical data and higher taxonomic structure of the South African microchaetid. Selected familial and generic diagnostic characters and their plesiomorphic and apomorphic status are evaluated. Provided are results of the correlation analysis between studied characters provided. The relationship, i.e. convergence/divergence between Microchaetidae and Glossoscolecidae, both families sensu various authors, is discussed. Based on the results, the taxonomic position of the family Microchaetidae is raised.

---

► POP V.V.¹, POP A.A.² and CSUZDI Cs.³

An annotated check list of the Romanian earthworm fauna (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • An annotated check list of the Romanian earthworm fauna (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

      
      

      POP V.V.¹, POP A.A.² and CSUZDI Cs.³

      
      

      ¹Institute of Biological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
      ²Institut für Zoologie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
      ³Systematic Zoology Research Group of HAS and Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
      e-mail: vvpop2001@yahoo.com, antoniapop@web.de, csuzdi@nhmus.hu

      
      

      The earthworm fauna of Romania is quite well known due to the investigations conducted by several prominent specialists, starting with Örley (1885), Michaelsen (1891, 1903), Černosvitov (1932) and especially Victor Pop (1938-1964). Twenty five species were recorded from this territory before the beginning of Pop’s research. Pop's (1949) publishing of the first comprehensive check list of the Romanian lumbricids raised the number of taxa to 47, to which three other species were added in 1964 and 1965 and thus raising the number of earthworm species recorded in Romania to 50. In the last 45 years, due to the continuous researches by Victor V. Pop, András Zicsi and Csaba Csuzdi the list of the lumbricid taxa recorded in Romania reached 75.
      
      A thorough re-examination of the material kept in Victor Pop’s earthworm collections in the Zoological Muzeum of the Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, as well as in the V.V. Pop’s earthworm collection at the Biological Research Institute in Cluj-Napoca resulted in the removal of several ambiguous species from the list of the Romanian earthworm fauna which now contains 72 valid earthworm taxa.
      
      It is important to put attention not only to the high number of lumbricid species, but also to the high number of endemic taxa. Thus, in Romania from the 72 taxa recorded 26 are endemics. This number is exceptionally high comparing to those of the whole Carpathian Basin (97 species, 39 endemics). The majority of endemic species were recoded from the Carpathian Mountains, and especially from the Apuseni Mountains.
      
      The biogeographic structure of the Romanian earthworm fauna include Dacian endemics (15), Carpathian endemics (9), Moesian endemics (2), Central European (8), Transaegean (6), Moesian (6), Balkanic (3) peregrine (14) and other minor elements.

---

► SAHIN C.¹, GUENAT C.², BULLINGER-WEBER G.³, LE BAYON R.C.⁴

Earthworm communities, an indicator of alluvial dynamics in a near floodplain, the Rhine river (canton Graubünden, Switzerland)   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm communities, an indicator of alluvial dynamics in a near floodplain, the Rhine river (canton Graubünden, Switzerland)

      
      

      SAHIN C.¹, GUENAT C.², BULLINGER-WEBER G.³, LE BAYON R.C.⁴

      
      

      ¹Laboratory Soil and Vegetation, University of Neuchâtel, Emile Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      ²Laboratory of Ecological Systems - ECOS, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology WSL-EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      ³Biogeosciences Laboratory, Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
      ⁴Laboratory Soil and Vegetation, University of Neuchâtel, Emile Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
      e-mail: ¹coraline.sahin@unine.ch, ²claire.guenat@epfl.ch, ³geraldine.bullinger@unil.ch, ⁴claire.lebayon@unine.ch

      
      

      In many terrestrial ecosystems, soil parameters usually regulate the distribution of earthworm communities. In the particular alluvial ecosystems, the frequency and intensity of floods create various soil habitats. Differences in earthworm communities could reflect a gradient of alluvial dynamics reinforcing the potential role of earthworms as bioindicators in near natural alluvial ecosystems. We assume that earthworm communities may vary along a gradient of stability. This stability corresponds to the time elapsed between flood perturbations and is indirectly characterized by vegetation stages (pioneer to mature forests), soil types and parameters (texture, number of layers/meter, total soil depth, topsoil structure). We hypothesise that the biomass, abundance and contribution of endogeics will increase from the main river bed to the floodplain limits. Species composition will also reflect this stability gradient. The studied site, Rhine River (canton Graubünden, mean altitude of 600 m, estimated discharge of 40 m³/s, calcareous alluvial deposits, pluvio-nival regime, braided river) is included in the Swiss inventory of alluvial zones of national importance and could be considered as a near natural floodplain. Earthworms were collected using the mustard extraction (3x50 cm²) and “hand sorting” methods during autumn 2010 in six soil units statistically selected (3 replicates), reflecting the floodplain soil diversity. The results are still under investigation.

---

► SHASHKOV M. P.

Database on earthworms distribution range   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Database on earthworms distribution range

      
      

      SHASHKOV M. P.

      
      

      Russian Center for Forest Health, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
      e-mail: max.carabus@gmail.com

      
      

      The great volume of information on earthworms fauna and its populations has been accumulated in literature at this date. It is necessary to organize these data in information system for faunal, ecological and taxonomical investigations. The objective of the paper is to develop database on earthworms fauna and its population characterization.
      
      The open-source DBMS PostgreSQL was chosen for relational database implementation.
      
      The database consists of two works tables and several lookup ones. The main lookup table is the systematic species list with data on the range types and morpho-ecological groups. It is linked with taxonomical synonyms lookup table to provide for data continuity. There is the lookup table on administrative division in database for the relative location, when exact coordinates are not available.
      
      The main work table contains records on earthworms findings. Single database unit is the record about individual located species finding. The location may be of different exactness, either geographic coordinates or administrative district. The second work table contains the detailed earthworms population description, i.e. the data on abundance, biomass, length of individuals, and inhabited soil horizon.
      
      A client application has been developed for work with the database. It provides the input of data to the database, the output of summary tables on species distribution and export data for GIS.

---

► SHEN H.-P.^{1, 2}, TSAI C.-F.², FANG Y.-P.³, CHEN J.-H.¹

Parthenogenesis, polyploidy and reproductive seasonality in the Taiwanese mountain earthworm Amynthas catenus Tsai et al., 2001 (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)    [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Parthenogenesis, polyploidy and reproductive seasonality in the Taiwanese mountain earthworm Amynthas catenus Tsai et al., 2001 (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)

      
      

      SHEN H.-P.^{1, 2}, TSAI C.-F.², FANG Y.-P.³, CHEN J.-H.¹

      
      

      ¹Institute of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan ²Habitat and Ecosystem Division, Endemic Species Research Institute, Jiji, Nantou, Taiwan ³Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan
      e-mail: shenhp@tesri.gov.tw

      
      

      Amynthas catenus Tsai et al., 2001 is a terrestrial earthworm belonging to the Pheretima complex of the family Megascolecidae. It is endemic to Mt. Hohuan of central Taiwan at elevations from 2985 to 3004 m. Its reproductive organs showed various stages of degeneration. The spermathecae varied from absence (athecal) to three pairs in VI–VIII (sexthecal), and the prostate glands from a large, symmetrical pair to absence. For the 44 specimens examined from May 2008 to May 2010, there were 47.7% athecals, 36.4% sexthecals and 15.9% intermediates. Results of the flow cytometric analysis showed that there were three DNA ploidy levels, diploid, triploid and tetraploid (2n, 3n, and 4n), for the athecals but only diploid for the sexthecals. The intermediates consisted of diploids and triploids. The diploids were represented by 112 chromosomes and the triploids by 168 chromosomes. The haploid chromosome number of A. catenus was 56. Spermatogenesis occurred throughout the year with the highest activity in summer for both athecals and sexthecals, but the number of mature ova peaked in summer for the athecals and in spring for the sexthecals. There was no significant difference in mean number of mature ova produced between the athecals and the sexthecals, but the sexthecals had significantly higher spermatogenetic activity than the athecals. For all specimens examined, sperm were present in testes and seminal vesicles but not in spermathecae, an evidence of parthenogenesis in the species.

---

► SHERLOCK E.

Taxonomic reorganisation, cataloguing and historical study of the Oligochaeta collections at the Natural History Museum London   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Taxonomic reorganisation, cataloguing and historical study of the Oligochaeta collections at the Natural History Museum London

      
      

      SHERLOCK E.

      
      

      The Natural History Museum, Zoology Department, Invertebrates 2, London, United Kingdom
      e-mail: e.sherlock@nhm.ac.uk

      
      

      A project is just beginning to comprehensively database the Oligochaete collections, and complete a thorough taxonomic reorganisation. This talk will document the current taxonomy of the collection, highlight what needs to change and then present the families complete so far with full species and locality listings. Whilst carrying out this project a History of the collections will also be pieced together using old correspondences, Museum archives and recollections of previous staff members. This will include all previous curator profiles, important donations and biographies of important donors through time.
      
      Once complete, the database as well as historical information will be available on-line to all users. I hope this will open up the collections to greater use by the scientific community and also highlight the great work achieved by my predecessors in the Museum and all over the world that have made this collection the fantastic resource that it is.

---

► SHWETA Y.

Microbiomic comparison of the intestine among the epigeic and anecic earthworm species   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Microbiomic comparison of the intestine among the epigeic and anecic earthworm species

      
      

      SHWETA Y.

      
      

      Vermiculture Research Station, D.S. College (Dr. B.R.A. University) Aligarh – 202001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
      e-mail: kmshweta3@yahoo.com

      
      

      In soils, organic matter decomposition and stabilization largely occur as a result of microbial activity. Although when present, earthworms are an important drive of the processes through their interaction with microflora which begin during organic matter digestion by earthworms. We studied the microbial activity in different gut regions in epigeic (Eisenia foetida, Eudrilus eugeniae, Perionyx excavatus) and anecic (Lampito mauritii, Metaphire posthuma) earthworms reared on pressmud reactors. Fourteen isolates of bacteria, including two known plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains,namely, Azotobacter vinelandii and Bacillus cereus were tested in vitro. Parameters assessed were: indoleacetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, dinitrogen fixation and siderphore (Fe-III Chelating agent) production was assayed colorimetrically using ferric chloride-perchoric acid reagent. Phosphate-solubilization and siderphore production were tested qualitatively by plating the bacteria in Pikovskaya and chrome azurol agar respectively. The results show that twelve isolates produced IAA ranged between 3.19 and 30.28 µmol ml^-1. The ability to solubilize precipitated phosphate was exhibited positively by four isolates. However, no significant change in number of bacteria was observed in the gut contents of E. foetida and E. eugeniae, whereas there large decrease in bacterial population was recorded in Perionyx excavatus among epigeic earthworm species. Higher PGPR were recorded in Lampito mauritii and Metaphire posthuma. We conclude that unlike the anecic earthworm species, microorganisms are preferentially utilized by epigeic earthworms to meet their nutrient requirements. Higher PGPR bacteria in anecic species of earthworms suggest the feasibility of polyculture vermireactor towards quality production of vermicompost.

---

► SINGH S.M. and PRAKASH O.

Species richness of earthworms in grasslands of western Uttar Pradesh, India   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Species richness of earthworms in grasslands of western Uttar Pradesh, India

      
      

      SINGH S.M. and PRAKASH O.

      
      

      Earthworm Ecology and Environmental Research Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly-243006, India
      e-mail: satyendramsingh@rediffmail.com

      
      

      Species richness of earthworms reflects soil quality of an ecosystem. It was not known in grasslands of Uttar Pradesh state. The study was conducted in five regions of western Uttar Pradesh, India, from 2007 to 2009 to identify species richness of earthworms in different seasons. Five samples were taken, in triplicate, from each region in every season, using a metallic quadrate of the size 1.0 m x 1.0 m x 20 cm. Worms were identified by observing external and internal morphological body characteristics. Three species of earthworm’s viz., Metaphire posthuma (Vaillant), Lampito mauritii (Kinberg, 1867) and Perionyx excavatus (Perrier, 1872) from the family Megascolecidae and four species of Eutyphoeus i.e. E. waltoni (Michaelsen, 1907), E. gigas (Stephenson, 1917), E. orientalis (Beddard, 1883) and E. pharpingianus (Michaelsen, 1907) from Octochaetidae were identified and recorded. Moradabad of western Uttar Pradesh was identified as species rich region of earthworms during rainy season (July to October). Species richness and density of worms were assessed the maximum in Moradabad and the minimum density in Saharanpur during peak winter months i.e. from November to February. However, species richness of worms was found the least in Meerut region during winter and summer months and in Saharanpur only during summers (March to June). M. posthuma was abundantly found in all the regions round the year. In addition, L. mauritii and E. waltoni have been reported from all the regions only during the rainy season. P. excavatus was next in occurrence pattern, as it was recorded from all the regions except from Meerut. Occurrence of E. orientalis, E. gigas and E. pharpingianus was recorded rare. Variations in species richness of worms were discussed in the light of climatic factors and the data available.

---

► SOLOMOU A.¹, SFOUGARIS A.¹ and VAVOULIDOU E.²

The effects of farming practices on earthworm dynamics in olive groves of central Greece   [poster]

• • ► Abstract

  • • The effects of farming practices on earthworm dynamics in olive groves of central Greece

      
      

      SOLOMOU A.¹, SFOUGARIS A.¹ and VAVOULIDOU E.²

      
      

      ¹Laboratory of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Management, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou str., N. Ionia, 384 46, Volos, Greece
      ²NAGREF, Soil Science Institute of Athens, S. Venizelou 1, 141 23 Lykovrissi, Greece
      e-mail: ¹solomou84@yahoo.gr; asfoug@agr.uth.gr
      ²evavoul@otenet.gr and aristod8@otenet.gr

      
      

      The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of two types of olive grove managements (organic and conventional) on species richness, composition, density and biomass of earthworm communities and species richness in relation to soil factors such as pH, organic matter and soil moisture. The research was conducted in five conventional and five organic olive groves, located in the region of Nies, Magnesia Prefecture, Greece. Earthworms were extracted during rainy season (March 2009) by using formaldehyde solution. At each olive grove farm, sampled were four 0.25 m² plots. The highest estimated earthworm biomass (g/m²) and density of earthworms (individuals per m²) were estimated in the organic olive groves and the lowest one in the conventional olive groves (p < 0.05). The highest species richness was recorded in the organic olive groves. Six species were recorded in total, all of them were present in organic olive groves: Octodrilus complanatus, O. croaticus, Dendrobaena byblica, D. veneta, Aporrectodea caliginosa and Microscoles phosphoreus. Conversely, at the conventional olive groves were present only four species and missing were D. veneta, and M. phosphoreus. The most abundant species were the following: O. complanatus, D. veneta and D. byblica. It can be concluded that biomass, population density and species diversity in earthworms may be considered as sensitive indicators of management practices, because these variables were influenced by farming system, i.e. higher in the organic olive groves than in the conventional ones.

---

► SZEDERJESI T.¹, FELFÖLDI T.², CSUZDI Cs.³

Eisenia lucens (Waga, 1857) and Eisenia spelaea (Rosa, 1901): are they really different species?   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Eisenia lucens (Waga, 1857) and Eisenia spelaea (Rosa, 1901): are they really different species?

      
      

      SZEDERJESI T.¹, FELFÖLDI T.², CSUZDI Cs.³

      
      

      ¹Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
      ²Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
      ³Systematic Zoology Research Group of HAS and Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
      e-mail: csuzdi@nhmus.hu

      
      

      Eisenia lucens (Waga, 1857) is a Central European earthworm species with montane distribution. Its range stretches from the Pyrenees through the Alps and the Carpathian Mts. to the Balkan Peninsula. In Hungary it occurs in the higher region of the Northern Hills, usually under the bark of fallen trees.
      
      Eisenia spelaea (Rosa, 1901) also possesses a Central European distribution, it occurs from the Alps to the Balkan Peninsula. In Hungary it is found only alongside the Western border region usually living in the detritus of small streams. However, sometimes it can also be found in decaying wood or even in soil as well.
      
      The strong similarity of both taxa makes it difficult to morphologically distinguish them. The only slight morphological differences are in the colouration and opening of the spermathecae. However both characters mentioned are very difficult to recognize properly on preserved material. There is another – biochemical – difference between the two species, namely the presence of bioluminescence in case of E. lucens.
      
      The above mentioned difficulties in identifying the two species result in two problems. On the one hand, a larger part of the distributional data of each species is ambiguous; on the other hand from time to time the validity of the two species is questioned.
      
      In the present work we tried to answer this question using the BAR code sequences (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) obtained from different E. spelaea and E. lucens (bioluminescing) specimens collected in different part of the Carpathian Basin.
      
      Our first results show high genetic differentiation between E. spelaea and E. lucens which seems to corroborate the validity of the two species. The E. spelaea specimens examined proved to be quite homogeneous genetically; however E. lucens possesses two highly divergent clades.

---

► TIMM T.

Life forms in Oligochaeta   [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Life forms in Oligochaeta

      
      

      TIMM T.

      
      

      Estonian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Limnology, Tartumaa, Estonia
      e-mail: tarmo.timm@emu.ee

      
      

      A review of literature data. Four main life forms among the Oligochaeta: aquatic sediment-dwellers, inhabitants of the macrovegetation, soil-dwellers, and carnivores. Representatives of all four live also in sea. Vegetation-dwellers of tubificid origin (Naididae, Pristinidae and Opistocystidae) have shifted towards asexual reproduction; some of them swim and have eyes. A convergent group is the "polychaete" family Aeolosomatidae. Some Lumbriculidae can also swim. Three clades live mostly in soil: the smaller Enchytraeidae, and the larger (earthworms) Crassiclitellata and Moniligastridae. Enchytraeidae and Crassiclitellata include also secondarily aquatic genera. Some aquatic Tubificidae can facultatively live in dry soil. Carnivory (parasitism or predation) was invented in separate genera of many families and led either to increase of chaetal number, or a stronger pharynx. A large lumbriculid clade including Hirudinea, Acanthobdellidae and Branchiobdellidae, has highly modified due to carnivory (suckers, jaws, loss of chaetae, etc.). Two evolutionary trends are evident in different groups: reduction of the chaetal number from indefinite to two per bundle, and reduction of the upper tooth in the originally bifid sigmoid chaetae. External gills have arosen at least four times. There are many transitions and convergencies in the way of life and morphology of Oligochaeta.

---

► TRIPATHI G., PANWAR K.R.

Population dynamics and biotic interaction of earthworms in arid pedo-ecosystem   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Population dynamics and biotic interaction of earthworms in arid pedo-ecosystem

      
      

      TRIPATHI G., PANWAR K.R.

      
      

      Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur-342 033, India
      e-mail: drgst@rediffmail.com

      
      

      Above-and below-ground factors may influence population of earthworm resources in arid environment. Therefore, climate associated fluctuations in earthworm population and interaction of earthworm with below-ground fauna were investigated. Seasonal changes in population of Metaphire posthuma, Lampito mauritii and Dichogaster bolaui were studied in waste land, kitchen garden, grassland and sewage system of a desert region of India. Maximum populations of M. posthuma, L. mauritii and D.  bolaui were in grassland, kitchen garden and sewage in the month of July-August.
      
      All these species of earthworms further exhibited their second population peaks during the period of February-March. Earthworm associated alterations in population of Collembola, mite, beetle, woodlouse and pseudoscorpion were also investigated. Populations of these soil faunal groups were higher at the sites with earthworms as compared to the sites without earthworms throughout the year. Highest populations of Collembola and beetle were recorded in July. On the other hand, mite, woodlouse and pseudoscorpion showed their highest populations in August at the sites with earthworms. The present findings suggest the possibility of two breeding seasons and earthworms also enrich other below-ground faunal biodiversity in a desert pedoecosystem.

---

► TRIPATHI G., PANWAR K.R.

Earthworm fauna of Indian Thar Desert   []

• • ► Abstract

  • • Earthworm fauna of Indian Thar Desert

      
      

      TRIPATHI G., PANWAR K.R.

      
      

      Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur-342 033, India
      e-mail: drgst@rediffmail.com

      
      

      The Thar Desert is characterized by a preponderance of sandy soil, erratic rainfall and high evapotranspiration. Despite a harsh climatic condition, there may be a fascinating and diverse world of soil animals including earthworms. Information on earthworm resources of desert is much scarce and disjointed. Therefore, investigations were carried out to explore earthworm fauna in a part of the Indian Thar desert. A number of species of earthworms were recorded from different parts of Western Rajasthan. They belonged to various families. In addition to species diversity, the qualitative composition, density, biomass, biodiversity indices and habitat relationship of earthworms were studied. There was apparently an abundant, moderate and low distribution of earthworms in different pedo-ecosystems. Maximal density of total earthworm species was in grassland, while it was minimal in cultivated field. Biomass was also maximal in grassland but reached a minimum in bare land. Species richness varied from 4 to 6 in arid environment. Evenness and species diversity indices were highest under natural plantation and lowest in bare land. Some kind of species- habitat relationship appeared in relation to physicochemical characteristics of soil system. In spite of a low population density of earthworm in desertic soil system, species diversity was appreciable in harsh climatic condition of arid land. This warrants a need to explore earthworm biodiversity throughout the Great Indian Thar Desert so that a heat tolerant species can be identified for induction into organic farming and vermicomposting program in desert.

---

► ZHAO Q.^1.2, SUN J.¹, JIANG J.¹, GUERNION M.², CLUZEAU D.², QIU J.P.¹

Can Hainan earthworms provide the evidence of continental drift? Phylogenetic study on earthworms in Hainan Island based on the morphological characters    [oral presentation]

• • ► Abstract

  • • Can Hainan earthworms provide the evidence of continental drift? Phylogenetic study on earthworms in Hainan Island based on the morphological characters

      
      

      ZHAO Q.^1.2, SUN J.¹, JIANG J.¹, GUERNION M.², CLUZEAU D.², QIU J.P.¹

      
      

      ¹School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
      ²Université de Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6553 EcoBio, Equipe RBPE, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France
      e-mail: annaqiqister@gmail.com; sun_jing.2005@yahoo.com.cn; jjb12342003@hotmail.com; Muriel.guernion@laposte.net; daniel.cluzeau@univ-rennes1.fr; jpq@sjtu.edu.cn

      
      

      Megascolecidae is a large family of earthworms which has native representatives in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast and East Asia, and North America. The most ancient lineages of the family showing a Gondwanan distribution have been used as evidence of the continental drift occurrence.
      
      Members of the Pheretima group (e.g. Amynthas) are widely distributed around the tropics. Hainan Island is such a typical resource-rich tropical region that makes it one of the most significant areas for the scientific research in China. Our objective is to study the lineages of earthworms present there and investigate whether they can provide the evidence of continental drift occurence between China mainland and Hainan Island.
      
      In this study, we chose 47 earthworm species in the family Megascolecidae in Hainan Island, comprising 42 and 5 species in the genera Amynthas and Metaphire respectively. Meanwhile, another 4 species from Guangdong province had been also selected. The phylogeny tree will be drawn by the method of Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC), after Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) is applied to analyze the phylogenetic relationship among 47 earthworm species based on 19 morphological characters.
      
      Results will be discussed in two parts: The first part will deal with the distribution of the species and answer the following question: Do all these species with the close relationship distribute in the adjacent regions? The second part will deal with the use of the gathered data as the evidence for occurrence of continental drift between China mainland and Hainan Island.