International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2013 1 ISSN 2250-3153 Recorded Distribution of Earthworms of the Family Octochaetidae In Dakshina Kannada District, South West Coast, Karnataka Muddaiah Siddaraju*, Kanale S. Sreepada **, Krishna M P *** * Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva P.U. College, Alike, Bantwal taluk, Dakshina, Kannada District -574 235, India ** Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri 574199-Mangalore. India *** Department of Zoology Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa College , Mangalore university Madikeri 571201 Abstract- A systematic survey on earthworm species diversity though many parts of the country has not been explored for the from Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka state , India, has been study of earthworms many areas . Taxonomic work on Indian conducted for the first time between January 2007 to December earthworms have been carried out by[16, 17, 18; [19] ; [20]; 2008. The study constitute mainly from Mangalore, Bantwal, [21]; [22]; [23]; [24]; [25]; [26]. Dhiman and Battish, 2006 [27], Belathangady, Puttur and Sullia talukas. Habitat such as Banana reported the habitat and taxonomic characters of some plantation, Cashew plantation, Areca plantation, Vegetable earthworm species of the Punjab. Checklist of 51 earthworms of garden, paddy fields were surveyed. Morphometric details of all Western Himalaya was listed by[28]. The earthworm diversity the earthworms collected in the study area were recorded and of the Western Ghats is very fragmentary [29]; [30, 31, 32, 33, species were identified . The study has revealed total of 11 34; [35]; [36], [37]; [24]. Diversity and distribution of species belonging to the family Octochaetidae in the order earthworm in Uttarakhand, was done by [38]. However , these Haplotoxida. Species distribution pattern, their richness and efforts have yielded several endemic species of earthworms habitat specificity have been studied and discussed in the from different parts of the Western Ghats. However, there is a paper. very limited data on diversity analysis including the species distribution pattern and abundance from different regions of Index Terms- Earthworms, Distribution, Octochaetidae, Karnataka in general and D.K. district in particular. Terrestrial Dakshina Kannada, South West coast, India. earthworms of Singapore have been investigated by[39]. Blakemore, 1994[40] compiled a list of about 1600, mainly ecological reference for the period 1970-1990. Ghafoor and I. INTRODUCTION Qureshi, 1999 [41] listed the fauna of a few localities in Pakistan. arthworms are important soil invertebrates belonging to the There are only few studies pertaining to the species EPhylum Annelida and Class Oligochaeta. Since long diversity, distribution pattern, habitat preference, endemic and earthworms have been known as “Farmer‟s friend”, “Nature‟s threat status in India. Eastern Himalayas [42]; [43]; South best fertilisers” and “Intestine of earth”. Earthworms includes 3 India[44], [45]; Andamon and Nicobar islands[46], [47], [20], orders, 4 suborders, 7 super families, 27 families and 8 sub [48], [49], [50], [28] and [27]. Batish and Dhiman, 2002 [51], families. There are about 5575 species of megadriles in the reported the habitat and taxonomic characters of some earthworm world [1]. Goto and Hatai, 1899[2], reported earthworms of species of Punjab. Earthworm population dynamics was studied Japan., Zoogeography and ecology of earthworms. Carpathian in a cultivated soil in central Himalayan Tarai by [52]. Mountains in Poland has been reported [3]. Reynolds (1994a)[4] Distribution pattern of earthworm fauna in Pandicherry region and Reynolds et al. (1995b)[5], recorded earthworms from and its population densities were studied by [53]. Earthworms of Bangladesh. Reynolds 1995[6] reported the status of exotic Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state have not been earthworm systematic and biogeography in North America. investigated systematically [20]; [37]; [26]; [54]. Distribution of earthworms in the north west of Iberian peninsula In recent years, the diversity of Indian earthworms has been has been recorded [7]. While Reynolds and Wetzel (2004b, mainly studied by [16]. He revised the Indian members of the 2008)[8-9] reported all earthworms in North America including family Octochaetidae in the publication „Fauna of India‟ Mexico, Bermuda, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Earthworms and providing illustrated descriptions of 154 taxa including 6 new their distribution in New Zealand has been reported [10]. genera and 16 new species. Begum and Ismail, 2004, [55] Terrestrial earthworms of Singapore have been investigated by collected 5 species of earthworms belonging to family [11]. Earthworms in relation to soil property in Mexico has Octochaetidae, the genera Dichogaster and Octochaetona in been studied by[12]. Biodiversity of earthworms of Pakistan around Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The knowledge on the earthworm have been reported by [13]. Diversity and distribution of fauna of India has also been enriched by [56], [57], [58], [28]. terrestrial earthworms from Thailand were recorded by [14]. Kathireswariet et al., 2005 [59], reported about 19 species of The earliest record on Indian earthworms was done by [15] earthworms of Octochaetidae and present study includes from western Himalayan region. A comprehensive checklist of Celeriella duoedecimalis and Hoplochaetella suctoria from earthworms of Indian subcontinent was prepared by[1]. Even Tamil Nadu. Dichogaster affinis (Michaelsen, 1890 [60], is a cosmopolitan earthworm widely distributed in the tropical and www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2013 2 ISSN 2250-3153 temperate regions around the world [61]. It has been reported recorded Dichogaster affinis as a new record from the Centro from India [62], Burma (= Myanmar)[63]; [62], Thailand [64], Western Taiwan. [62], Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam [1], Hainan Island [65], Sumatra, Flores [66], Australia [67], New Caledonia [62], Pacific Islands [61], Mexico [68], Central America, Brazil, Africa, II. STUDY AREA Madagascar [62], and Canary Islands [69]. Shen, et al., 2008 [70] Fig. 1 Map of study area Dakshina Kannada is an important district of Karnataka plantation, vegetable garden, areca plantation, banana plantation, state situated on the western coast of India . It is long narrow cocoa and rubber plantations, flowering gardens and few lentic strip of territory and from east to west it is broken low plateau, and lotic water bodies have been selected for earthworm species which spreads from the western ghats to the Arabian sea. collection. Sampling were done in triplicate using the Dakshina Kannada district has an area of 4866 square quantitative modified hand sorting standard methods of surface kilometer which stretch from 12o 57' and 13o 50¹ north latitude 30x30cm area. Later, soil was excavated up to 30 cm depth in and 74º & 75º 50¹ east longitude. The district is divided in to 5 each sampling point and available earthworms were collected. taluks Mangalore, Bantwal, Belthangady, Puttur and Sullia. It Specimens were fixed in 30% alcohol for about 2 minutes for is bordered by Udupi District to north, Chikkamangaluru district anesthetizing and then transferred to 10% formalin solution for to north east and Kasaragod district in Kerala to the south. The permanent preservation. Earthworms were dissected out Arabian sea bounds it on the west. Mangalore is the head immediately after alcohol treatment to study the internal quarters and chief city of the district(Fig.1). The climate of the anatomical features for identification. The specimens were district shares the wider climatic pattern of the other West Coast deposited in the department museum. Earthworms were districts of India. It is characterized by excessive humidity (78%) identified with the help of monographs and other available during the greater part of the year. literature on the subject [33][62][17] and [1]. III. MATERIALS AND METHODS IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A systematic earthworm species diversity survey was Earthworm survey conducted in 5 different taluks of conducted at regular interval between January 2007 to Dakshina Kannada District revealed occurrence of 5 genera and December 2008 in the study area. Habitat such as coconut 11 species belonging to family Octochaetidae collected from www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2013 3 ISSN 2250-3153 different habitats such as forest litter, Banana, Areca, Cashew V. TAXONOMY plantations, vegetable gardens and edges of rivers. Species such Octochaetona paliensis (Stephenson, 1920)(Fig. 2). as Octochaetona paliensis, O. parva, Celeriella duodecimalis, Octochaetona paliensis Stephenson, 1920 ; Octochaeteus Hoplochaetella suctoria , H. stuarti , H. kempi , H. phillotti Michelsen, 1907 ; O. paliensis Stephenson, 1920; O. Karnatakensis , Konkadrilus bahli, K. stephensoni, Dichogaster paliensis var riparius Stephenson, 1920; O.ganeshe Stephenson affinis and Mallehulla indica were collected from the study area 1923; O. paliensis var riparius Stephenson, 1923; O. phillotti and comprises 7.14% species (154 species Indian Octochaetids- Stephenson,1923; O. paliensis Gates, 1962. Julka, 1988 [17]. Systematic seasonal data has shown that in Diagnosis: Length: 92-110 mm; Width: 4-5 mm; Mangalore, Belthangady and Bantwal taluk , the density density Segments: 129-198 with much secondary annulation in pre- of earthworms