Earthworm (Clitellata: Megadrili) taxonomy in the last 200 years: A homage to András Zicsi (1928−2015)

Prof. Dr. András Zicsi, the renowned soil biologist and earthworm taxonomist passed away on 22 July, 2015 at the age of 87. To honour his enormous contribution in exploring earthworm biodiversity all over the world, we provide a brief, albeit subjective overview of the history of earthworm taxonomy in the last two century

A Lumbricidae család revíziója (Annelida: Oligochaeta) = Revision of the earthworm family Lumbricidae (Annelida: Oligochaeta)

Kiépítettük a Lumbricidae család nomenklaturai adatbázisát. Ez az adatbázis 1104 leírt Lumbricidae nevet tartalmaz, a http://earthworm.uw.hu oldalon érhető el. Molekuláris vizsgálataink a 18S rDNS szekvencia igen kis variabilitását mutatták, ezért kutatásainkat kiterjesztettük más génekre is (16S rDNS és COI szekvencia). A kombinált analízis alátámasztotta, az é-amerikai vörös epigeikus csoport monofiliáját. Érdekesség, hogy az Allolobophoridella és a Dendrodrilus fajok nélkül a Bimastos nem parafiletikusnak tűnik. Szintén figyelemre méltó, hogy a kombinált analízis egyértelműen monofiletikusnak mutatja a Fitzingeria nemet viszonylag távol a Dendrobaena fajoktól. Az Eisenia nem itt is monofiletikus, a Bimastos-Dendrodrilus-Allolobophoridella klád testvércsoportja. Az Aporrectodea is monofiletikusnak tűnik, meg kell azonban jegyeznünk, hogy az Allolobophora s.l. csoportból csak kevés fajból rendelkeztünk mindhárom gén szekvenciájával. A 3 génszakasz együttes vizsgálata megerősítette a már morfológiailag is elég robusztusnak tekintett Octodrilus és Lumbricus nemek monofiletikus eredetét is. Összességében megállapíthatjuk, hogy a 3 gén együttes vizsgálata során sokkal jobb felbontású és realisztikusabb eredményeket kaptunk annál, mint amit korábban az egyes gének külön vizsgálata mutatott, de egy koherens filogenetikai kép kialakításához mindenképp még más géneket is be kell vonnunk a vizsgálatokba | We have set up a Lumbricidae nomenclatural database. This database contains 1104 specific epithets and available online: http://earthworm.uw.hu. The molecular analysis of 18S rDNA gene showed quite low variability of the sequences, therefore the investigation was also extended to other genes (16S rDNA, COI). The combined analysis of the three sequences corroborated the monophyly of the North American red-pigmented epigeic clade. It is interesting to note that withouth the Allolobophoridella and Dendrodrilus species the genus Bimastos is paraphyletic. The monophyly of the genus Fitzingeria and its distant position from the Dendrobaena species is also remarkable. The genus Eisenia is monophyletic and it forms the sister-group of the Bimastos clade. Contrary to the previous results Aporrectodea also seems to be monophyletic but it has to be stressed, that we had all the three sequences only of a few species, so this genus is quite underrepresented in the combined analysis. In accordance with the classical phylogenies the combined analysis also corroborated the monophyletic origin of the morphologically robust genera Octodrilus, Octolasion and Lumbricus. In conclusion, the combined analysis of the three gene (18S, 16S rDNA and COI) resulted in a more resolved and reliable phylogenetic relatedness than the genes analysed separately. But we have to emphasise that a coherent phylogenetic scenario could be reached only if other gene sequences are also involved in the analysis

Remarks on the new earthworm taxa described by Aladesida and Owa in 2015 from Nigeria (Clitellata: Megadrili)

The earthworm fauna of tropical Africa is clearly understudied. This is mainly due to the lack of local earthworm researchers. Nigeria is an exception in this regard with an excellent earthworm researcher A.O. Segun and his successor S.O. Owa describing some 30 earthworm species belonging to the family Eudrilidae. Recently, Aladesida & Ova (2015) published descriptions of four new earthworm genera and species; Adodrilus stephana (Megascolecidae), Ekitidrilus alabataensis, Paranematogenia eyinwaensis (Ocnerodrilidae), and Imekodrilus hexagastricus (Moniligastridae). Examining the type material of the new taxa deposited in the Natural History Museum, London revealed that Adodrilus stephana Aladesida & Ova, 2015 is a synonym of Gordiodrilus robustus Beddard, 1892, Ekitidrilus alabataensis Aladesida & Ova, 2015 represents a nomen nudum. Due to the juvenile state of the types, the names Imekodrilus hexagastricus Aladesida & Ova, 2015 represent a nomen dubium in the family Ocnerodrilidae and Paranematogenia eyinwaensis a nomen dubium in the family Eudrilidae. To prevent further nomenclatural problems, lectotypes for Adodrilus stephana and Paranematogenia eyinwaensis were designated

NEW AND LITTLE KNOWN EARTHWORM SPECIES FROM PERIPHERAL AREAS OF THE ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS (OLIGOCHAETA, LUMBRICIDAE)

Collecting trips organized to the little investigated regions of Romania (Oltenia, Banat, Bucovina)resulted in 41 earthworm species being recorded, including a new country record (Octolasion lacteovicinum Zicsi, 1968) and the discovery of a peculiar new anecic species Dendrobaena virgata sp. n. Consequently the number of earthworm species reported from Romania is raised to 73

The second species of the endemic Malagasy earthworm genus Howascolex Michaelsen, 1901; Howascolex farafangana sp. n. (Clitellata, Megadrili)

A recent survey of earthworms carried out in South East Madagascar resulted in collecting two species belonging to the endemic Malagasy earthworm genus Howascolex Michaelsen, 1901. One of the species proved to be identical to the generotype Howascolex madagascariensis Michaelsen, 1901. The other species Howascolex farafangana sp. n. represents the second species of the genus. The genus Howascolex was originally classified in the subfamily Octochaetinae Michaelsen, 1900. However, its close morphological similarity with the Malagasy acanthodriline species implies a homoplasious origin of the meroic excretory system of Howascolex and its inclusion in the family Acanthodrilidae Claus, 1880

A mesterséges megvilágítás hatása a talajfaunára

A mesterséges fény hatása a repülő állatokra, különösen a rovarokra, Arisztotelész óta jól ismert. Az utóbbi években a fényszennyezéssel kapcsolatosan egyre több tudományterület vizsgálja a jelenséget. Az ALAN (Éjszakai mesterséges fény) hatására vonatkozó ismereteink azonban többnyire a fényre repülő szervezetek fiziológiájára, viselkedésére, szaporodására ragadozó és zsákmány kölcsönkapcsolatainak vizsgálataira korlátozódnak. Ismereteink azonban meglehetősen korlátozottak arra vonatkozóan, hogy az ökoszisztémákban a fénynek van-e hatása a talajban élő állatvilágra. Tanulmányunkban a rendelkezésre álló irodalmak rövid áttekintésével összefoglaljuk az ALAN talajállatokra gyakorolt hatását. ---- The effect of artificial light on flying animals especially insects has been well known and documented since Aristotle and it represents a rapidly growing field of science in recent years. However our current knowledge of the impact of ALAN (Artificial Light At Night) is largely limited to its effects on organismal physiology, behaviour, reproduction and predator–prey interactions. Our knowledge is rather limited on its wider scale effects on the top-down and bottom-up processes of the affected ecosystems and especially on the nonvolant ground dwelling fauna. Here we present a short review of the available literature and summarize the effect of ALAN on the soil animals

Data to the earthworm fauna of Myanmar with notes on some little known species (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

The earthworm fauna of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) is quite well studied due to the studious works of Gordon E. Gates. However, after the publication of the comprehensive monograph Burmese earthworms (Gates 1972) there has been no new data published from this country. In the last year the last author collected several earthworm samples from Burma, resulting in 7 species records belonging to the families Moniligastridae, Benhamiidae, Octochaetidae and Megascolecidae including some little known species like Tonoscolex depressus (Gates, 1929) and Eutyphoeus constrictus Gates, 1929. Examination of the E. constrictus specimens revealed that they show different states of metandry, they are morphologically very similar to E. hastatus Gates, 1929, and only differ by the functionality of the testes in segment 10, therefore it should be regarded as a synonym of E. constrictus

Description of a new Eumenescolex species (Clitellata: Megadrili, Lumbricidae) with new data to the earthworm fauna of Corsica and Sardinia

Earthworm collectings on Corsica and Sardinia resulted in recording eight species belonging to the families Lumbricidae and Hormogastridae. Among them, Octodrilus transpadanus represents a new record for the fauna of Sardinia and Eumenescolex zoltani sp. nov. from Corsica is new to science

The Allolobophora sturanyi species group revisited: Integrated taxonomy and new taxa (Clitellata: Megadrili)

The Allolobophora sturanyi Rosa, 1895 species group is revisited using DNA barcoding and morphology. Barcoding results corroborated the previous treatment of the Allolobophora sturanyi subspecies and furthermore proved that the morphologically similar Allolobophora gestroides Zicsi, 1970 species belong to this species group. Elaboration of new samples from the Apuseni Mts resulted in discovery of a new subspecies A. sturanyi biharica ssp. nov. from the summit of the Bihor range, and a new species A. zicsica from the Vladeasa range similar to A. gestroides described from Northern Hungary