Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1969 The aE rthworm Genus Pheretima, Kinberg, 1866, in Louisiana (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae). Richard Elvin Tandy Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Tandy, Richard Elvin, "The Earthworm Genus Pheretima, Kinberg, 1866, in Louisiana (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae)." (1969). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1566. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1566 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-17,130 TANDY, Richard Elvin, 1937- THE EARTHWORM GENUS PHERETIMA KINBERG, 1866, IN LOUISIANA (OLIGOCHAETA: MEGASCOLECIDAE). Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1969 Zoology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The Earthworm Genus Pheretima Kinberg, 1856, In Louisiana (01igochaeta:M egascolecidae) A D issertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillm ent of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology and Physiology by Richard Elvin Tandy B.A., Anderson College, 1960 M.S., Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, 1963 January, 1969 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Sincere appreciation is expressed to Dr. Walter J. Harman for suggesting that this study be made and for his continuous counsel and guidance. Special thanlcs are expressed to Dr. Gordon E. Gates, Bangor, Maine, for the use of an unpublished manuscript on earthworms of Burma and for the confirmation of identifications; and to Dr. Clair A. Brown, Department of Botany, Louisiana State University, for his comments on imported plant species in Louisiana. The author wishes to express his gratitude to all of. the persons who assisted in any way during this study, especially those who brought the author collections of earthworms. l i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page T i t l e P a g e .......................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgments .................................................................. 11 T a b le o f C o n t e n t s ......................................................................................................... I l l List of Tables .................................................................................................................. Iv List of Maps....................................................................................................................... V List of Illustrations............................................................................................... v i A b s t r a c t ...................................................................................................................................... v l l l I. Introduction.................................................................................................... 1 II. Materials and Methods ............................................................................ 3 III. Taxonomy and Conventions ........................................................................ 6 A. Generic Account................................................................................. 11 B. Species Accounts.................................................................................. 16. Pheretima agrestls ............................................................................. 16 Pheretima callfornlca ................................................................... 25 Pheretima dlffrlngens ................................................................... 32 Pheretima hawayana............................................................................. 58 Pheretima hllgendorf1 ..... ................................................ 69 Pheretima hupelensls........................................................................ 76 Pheretima minima................................................................................. 81 Pheretima m o rrlsl ............................................................................. 86 C. Key to the Louisiana Species of Pheretim a...................... 93 IV. Ecology .............................................................................................................- 94 V. Summary ............................................... 98 Literature Cited. ........................................................................ 101- A p p en d ix . ................................................................................................................... 154 V i t a ........................................................................................................................................... 155 1 1 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES T able Number Page 1. Number of Sites at which Species of Pheretima Occurred Singly and Together in Louisiana........................ 108 2. Total Number of Associations of Pheretima Species at 448 S ite s........................................................................ 109 3. Total Number of Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima diffringens ............................................................... 110 4. Location of Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima diffringens ........................................................................ I l l 5. Frequency of Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima diffringens ........................................................................ 112 6. Total Number of Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima hawayana........................................................................ 113 7. Location of Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima hawayana ............................................................................. 114 8. Total Number of Postclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima hawayana.................................................................. r . 115 9. Location of Postclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima hawayana ............................................................................. 116 10. Location of Midventral Genital Markings in Pheretima m orrisi .................................................................................. 117 11. Location of Lateral Preclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima m orrisi ........................................................................ 118 12. Location of Postclitellar Genital Markings in Pheretima m orrisi .................................................................................. 119 13. Climatological Data for New Orleans, Louisiana .... 120 14. Climatological Data for Shreveport, Louisiana..................... 121 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF MAPS Map Number Page 1 . Distribution of Pheretima agrestis ......................................................122 2 . Distribution of Pheretima Californiea ........................ 123 3. Distribution of Pheretima diffringens ........................................ 124 4 . Distribution o f Pheretima hawayana....................................................... 125 5. Distribution of Pheretima hilgendorfi ........................................ 126 6. Distribution of Pheretima hupeiensis ........................................ 127 7 . Distribution o f Pheretima minima............................................................128 8 . Distribution of Pheretima m orrisi....................................................... 129 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS F ig u re Number Page 1. Spermatheca of Pheretima agrestis.................................................. 131 2. Longitudinal Section of the Male Porophore o f P h e re tim a a g r e s t i s ......................................................................... 131 3. Modified Epidermis of Pheretima agrestis ............................... 133 4. Male Pore Region of Pheretima ag restis ................................... 133 5. Manicate Intestinal Caecum of Pheretima agrestis . 135 6. Internal Male Terminalia of Pheretima agrestis .... 135 7. Retracted and Partially Everted Male Porophore of Pheretima californica ............................................................... 137 8. Everted Male Porophores of Pheretima californica . 137 9. Simple Intestinal Caecum of Pheretima californica. 137 10. Hypothetical Total Battery of Genital Markings in P h e re tim a d i f f r i n g e n s ......................................................................... 139 11. Genital Markings of Pheretima diffringens ............................... 139 12. Genital Markings of