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

Taxonomic and biogeographic analysis of the Allolobophora sturanyi species group (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

Morphometric and biogeographic analysis of the Allolobophora sturanyi species group – containing A. sturanyi Rosa, 1895, Eophila dacica Pop, 1938 and A. sturanyi dacidoides Bouché, 1973 – proved that these taxa are distinct; consequently the proposed synonymy by Perel (1979) should be rejected. However, these taxa are morphologically close enough to regard them as subspecies of the polytypic Allolobophora sturanyi. The analysis also revealed a fourth, well separated group that represents a new species to science, Allolobophora prosellodacica sp. n

New data to the earthworm fauna of Israel (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae)

Elaborating several smaller earthworm samples collected in different parts of Israel resulted in recording 20 earthworm species including Bimastos parvus (Eisen, 1874) a North American peregrine which represents new record for the country. Three other species; Dendrobaena nevoi Csuzdi & Pavlíček, 1999, Healyella jordanis (Csuzdi & Pavlíček, 1999)and Perelia shamsi Csuzdi & Pavlíček, 2005 were first recorded after their original descriptions. The present list of lumbricidearthworms recorded for Israel is raised to 28

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

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behaviour in Children and Adolescents Accessing Residential or Intensive Home-Based Mental Health Services

Objective: There is a dearth of Canadian research with clinical samples of youth who self-harm, and no studies could be located on self-harm in children and youth accessing residential or intensive home-based treatment. The purposes of this report were to explore the proportion and characteristics of children and youth identified as self-harming at admission by clinicians compared to youth not identified as self-harming, compare self-harming children to adolescents, and to compare caregiver ratings of self-harm at intake to clinician ratings at admission. Method: This report was developed from a larger longitudinal, observational study involving 210 children and youth accessing residential and home-based treatment and their caregivers in partnership with five mental health treatment centres in southwestern Ontario. Agency data were gleaned from files, and caregivers reported on symptom severity at 12 to 18 months and 36 to 40 months post-discharge. Results: Fifty-seven (34%) children and youth were identified as self-harming at admission. The mean age was 11.57 (SD 2.75). There were statistically significant differences on symptom severity at intake between those identified as self-harming and those not so identified; most of these differences were no longer present at follow up. Children were reported to have higher severity of conduct disorder symptoms than adolescents at intake, and there was some consistency between caregiver-rated and clinician-rated self-harm. Children were reported to engage in a wide range of self-harming behaviours. Conclusion: These findings suggest that youth who were identified as self-harming at admission have elevated scores of symptom severity, self-harm can occur in young children and while many improve, there remains a concern for several children and youth who did not improve by the end of service. Children engage in some of the same types of self-harm behaviours as adolescents, and they also engage in behaviours unique to children

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

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