A Simplified Key to Common Genera of Terrestrial Earthworms
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A simplified key to common genera of terrestrial earthworms 1. Clitellum commencing in front of the 15th segment (not found in the British Isles) 2 - Clitellum commencing after the 15th segment 3 (LUMBRI- C IDAE) 2. Setal arrangement perichaetine (Fig. 2) Pheretima (MEGASCO LECIDAE) - Setal arrangement lumbricine (Fig. 2) Diplocardia (ACANTHO DRILIDA E) 3. Prostomium tanylobous (fig. 1), setae closely paired (Fig. 2) at least over part of the body 4 - Prostomium epilobous (fig. 1) or if tanylobous, setae widely paired or distant (Fig. 2) over the whole body 5 4. Clitellum begins on segment 24 Bimastos eiseni (Levin sen)•• - Clitellum begins on or after segment 26 Lumbricus 5. Clitellum ends after segment 28 6 - Clitellum ends before segment 28 Eiseniella 6. Tubercula pubertatis absent, or exceptionally, present as simple thickenings of the edges of the clitellum Bimastos - Tubercula pubertatis present as ridges or isolated papillae (plate Sb) 7 7. Setae widely-paired or distant, at least posteriorly 8 - Setae closely-paired throughout the length of the body 9 8. Setae widely paired or distant throughout the length of the body, tubercula pubertatis as ridges (excep tionally as separate tubercles) extending over only part of the length of the clitellum Dendrobaena •• Only one common sp ecies. KEY TO GENERA OF TERRESTRIAL EARTHWORMS 213 -Setae closely-paired anteriorly (in the region of the hearts), distant posteriorly. Tubercula pubertatis as ridges as long or longer than the clitellum Octolasium 9. Spermathecal pores (Fig. 3) in line with seta 'd' or more often near the mid-dorsal line, body trapezoidal in crossection Eisenia - Spermathecal pores situated laterally between setae 'c' and 'd' or 'a' and 'b' and 'c' and 'd'. Body not trape zoidal in crossection 10 10. Prostomium with longitudinal ridges Eophila - Prostomium without longitudinal ridges 11 11. Calciferous glands with two lateral pouches in segment Terrestrial Allolobo phrna - Calciferous glands without lateral pouches. Amphibious Helodrilus Note. Internal characteristics have been used only in couplet 11. However, most Helodrilus species are amphibious, living in mud at the bottom of ditches, ponds, etc., and in wet river banks, whereas Allolobophrna species are terrestrial. Therefore the habitat can usually be used as the key charac ter thus avoiding the necessity of dissection. Simple key to species of terrestrial earthworms Most common .and widespread species of earthworms can be identified using the characters in the first two or three columns of the key. If rarer species that are not included in the key are found, they may be misidentified on the basis of the characters in the first three columns, but reference to the additional descriptions given should usually be sufficient to avoid confusion. MEGASCOLECIDAE Genus Pheretima Two pairs of spermathecal pores in segmental grooves 7/8 and 8/9. Pheretima 1st dorsal pore 11/12. 70- 170 mm. 10- 150 segs. Reddish-brown, californica clitellum creamy to dark grey. (Kinberg) Three pairs of spermathecal pores on the anterior edges of seg P. hupiensis ments 7, 8 and 9. 150-220 mm. Light green/greenish buff with (Michaelsen) purple green dorsal line, clitellum milky or chocolate, pale grey ventrally. Four pairs of spermathecal pores in segmental grooves 5/ 6, 6/ 7, 7/8 P.posthuma and 8/9. 1st dorsal pore 12/ 13. 100- 160 mm. 120- 150 segs. Rich (Vaillant) brown. ACANTHODRILIDAE Genus Diplocardia 1. Clitellum forms a complete ring around the body. 40-120 Diplocardia mm. 90- 120 segs. Anterior dorsal surface pale flesh coloured. singularis (Ude) 214 BIOLOGY OF EARTHWORMS Clitellum not a complete ring, but saddle-shaped. 2. Three pairs of spermathecal pores in segmental grooves 6/7, D. communis 7/8 and 8/9. 180-300 mm. 125-160 segs. Anterior dorsal surface (Garman) pale flesh coloured. Two pairs of spermathecal pores in segmental grooves 7/8 and D. riparia 8/9. 200-270 mm. 135-160 segs. Anterior dorsal surface dark (Smith) brown. LUMBRICIDAE Genus Lumbricus Tuberculat 1st dorsalt Clitellumt pubertatis pore 26, 27-32 28-31 7/8 Red/brown or red/violet, Lumbricus irridescent dorsally, pale rubellus• yellow ventrally. 25-105 Hoffmeister mm. 95-120 segs. 28-33 29-33 6/7 Chestnut to violet L. castaneus • brown; brown/yellow (Savigny) ventrally, irridescen t, clitellum orange. 30-70 mm. 82-100 segs. 31, 32-37 33-36 7/8 Setae widely-paired both L. terrestris • ends of the body, Linnaeus strongly pigmented, brown-red dorsally, yel- lowish ventrally. 90-300 mm. 110-160 segs. 33, 34-39 34, 35, 5/6 Red-brown, lighter ven- L.festivus• 36-38 trally, irridescent dor- (Savigny) sally, prominent clitel- lum. Not found in large numbers. 48-108 mm. 100-143 segs. Genus Eiseniella 22,23-26, 23-25, 26 4/5 Male pores in 13. Dark Eiseniella 27 brown, greenish, golden tetraeda f . yellow, red. Body typica • quadrangular behind (Savigny) the clitellum. 30-60 mm. 60-90 segs. Male pore in 15. Other E. tetraeda wise as f. typica (Savigny) fhercynia• (Michaelsen) • British species. t for numbering see p. 12. KEY TO GENERA OF TERRESTRIAL EARTHWORMS 215 Genus Bimastos Tubercula 1st dorsal C/ite/lum pubertatis pore 20, 21, Absent Setae ab > cd. Red- Bimastos 22-29,30 brown. giese/eri 105-115 segs. 50-80 (Smith) mm. 22-29 27,28 Reddish-brown. B. tumidis Eise segs 30-6. 20-50mm 23-28 Absent 20-50 mm. 40-60 segs. B. palustris up to 75 mm. (Moore) 23, 24, 24, 25, 5/6 Reddish dorsally, yel- B. parvus 25-31, 32 26-30 lowish ventrally. 25--40 (Eisen) or absent mm. 90-110 segs. 23-32 Absent Rose-red. B. or 24-33 98-122 segs. 60-90 mm. longicinctus (Smith& Gittins) 24,25-32, Absent 5/6 Prostomium tanylobous, B. eiseni• 33 body cylindrical, reddish (Levinsen) or violet dorsally, yel- lowish ventrally, clitel- lum red. 30- 64 mm. 75- 111 segs. 25, 26, 28, 29-30, 5/6 Setae widely paired, dor- B. tenuis•t 27-30, 31, 31 or sally red-brown with (Eisen) 32, 33 absent bluish tint. Intersegmen- tal grooves and ventral side light. 20-85 mm. 90-120 segs. 27-37 Absent Pale red to chestnut B. zeteki brown, often localized (Smith & whitish banding anter- Gittins) iorly. 100-140 mm. 110- 140 segs. Genus Dendrobaena 25,26-31, 28-30 5/6 Rosy to deep red, last Dendrobaena 32 posterior segments yel subrubicundat low. 27-90 mm. 50-100 (Eisen) segs. • British species. t Now Dendrobaena rubida (Sav.) f. tenuis (Eisen). l Now Dendrobaena rubida (Sav.) f. subrubicunda (Eisen). 216 BIOLOGY OF EARTHWORMS Tubercula 1st dorsal Clitel/um pubertatis pore 25,26-28, 25-30 5/6 or Smoky-grey with red D.platyura 29,30 sometimes pigment posteriorly. 80- (Fitzinge11) 8/ 9 180 mm. 120-160 segs. 26, 27-31, 29-30 5/6 Dark red dorsally, lighter D. rubida• 32 red ventrally. 30-60 mm. (Savigny) 50-100 segs. 24,25-26, 30 and 31 5/ 6 Violet, purple or olive D. veneta 27-32, 33 brown, dorsal pigment f. typica bands separated by non- (Rosa) pigmented zones. Some- times uniformly unpig- men ted. 50-155 mm. 80-225 segs. 27, 28, 31- 32, 33 4/5 Red, violet, yellow or D. octaedra • 29-33, 34 copper. Posterior octa- (Savigny) gonal. 17-40 mm. 79-95 segs. 28-33, 34 29,30-32 5/ 6 Dorsally pale red, 1st D. attemsi segment and ventrally (Michaelsen) and clitellum white. 20- 50 mm. 100-150 segs. 31-36 33-34 4/ 5 Red-violet, slightly irri- D. mamma/is • descent. 30-65 mm. 83- (Savigny) 100 segs. 33- 37 34, 35- 36, Undetect- Red dorsally or unpig- D.pygmaea• 37 able men ted. 30- 32 mm. (Savigny) 103-180 segs. Genus Octolasium 29-34 30-33 11/ 12 Blue-grey with (usually) Octolasium lilac-blue dorsal line. Last cyaneum 4- 5 segments yellow, (Savigny) anterior segments pink, clitellum red-orange. 50- 160 mm. 100- 150 segs. 30-35 31-34 8/9, 9/ 10 White, grey, blue or O.lacteum• or 10/ 11 rose-pink, clitellum pink (Oerley) or orange. 30-160 mm. 90-180 segs. • British species. KEY TO GENERA OF TERRESTRIAL EARTHWORMS 217 Tubercula 1st dorsal Clitellum pubertatis pore Genus Eisenia 24, 25, 28-30, 31 4/ 5 Red, purple or brown; Eisenia 26-32 yellowish ventrally. Dor- foetida• sal surface pigment al- (Savigny) temating with light inter- segmental zones. 32-130 mm. 80-110 segs. Genus Eophila 33, 34 35, 36, Yellowish or grey. 52- Eophila 35-42,43, 37-41, 42, 140 mm. 132-170 segs. icterica • 44 43,44 (Savigny) Genus Allolobophora 25, 26-31, 29-30, 31 4/5 Pale red, without pig- Allolobophora 32, 33 or 30- 32 ment, prominent and rosea• flattened clitellum. 25- (Savigny) 85 mm. 120-150 segs. 26-32 28, f29 5/ 6 Grey, unpigmented, A. culpifera andf29, 30 usually blood shows (Tetry) through epidermis. 20- 60 mm. 80-120 segs. 25, 26- 33 30 and 31 4/ 5 Whitish grey, unpig- A. antipae men ted. 50- 90 mm. (Michaelsen) 100-130 segs. 26, 27, 31 and 33 11/12 Anterior, especially the A. caliginosa 28-34, 35 or 12/ 13 first few segments pink, f typica• otherwise pale grey, (Savigny) yellowish clitellum. 40- 100 mm. 120- 150 segs. 26, 27 31- 33 Colour as for f. typica. A. caliginosa 28-34, 35 Tubercula pubertatis of (Savigny) two raised tubercles, f trapezoides connected by a narrow (Duges) bridge. 27- 32,33 Absent Indistinct Grey, unpigmented. 80- A. miniscula 100 segs. 22- 25 mm. (Rosa) 27, 28- 35 32 and 34 Body cylindrical, pale A.