Lumbricidae

Lumbricidae
The Lumbricidae are a family of earthworms. About 33 lumbricid species have become naturalized around the world, but the bulk of the species are in the Holarctic region: from Canada (e.g. Bimastos lawrenceae on Vancouver Island) and the United States (e.g. Eisenoides carolinensis, Eisenoides lonnbergi and most Bimastos spp.) and throughout Eurasia to Japan (e.g. Eisenia japonica, E. koreana and Helodrilus hachiojii). An enigmatic species in Tasmania is Eophila eti. Currently, 670 valid species and subspecies in about 42 genera are recognized. This family includes the majority of earthworm species well known to Europeans and Asians
Genera
The family consists of the following genera:
Allolobophora Eisen, 1874
Alpodinaridella Mršić, 1987
Aporrectodea Orley, 1885
Bimastos Moore, 1893
Castellodrilus Qiu & Bouché, 1998 stat. nov.
Cataladrilus Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Cernosvitovia Omodeo, 1956
Creinella Mršić, 1986
Dendrobaena Eisen, 1874
Eisenia Malm, 1877
Eiseniella Michaelsen, 1900
Eiseniona Omodeo, 1956
Eophila Rosa, 1893
Ethnodrilus Bouché, 1972
Eumenescolex Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Fitzingeria Zicsi, 1978
Gatesona Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Healyella Omodeo & Rota, 1989
Helodrilus Hoffmeister, 1845
Heraclescolex Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Iberoscolex Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Italobalkaniona Mršić & Šapkarev, 1988
Kenleenus Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Kritodrilus Dumnicka, 1983
Lumbricus Linnaeus, 1758
Meroandriella Mršić, 1987
Octodriloides Zicsi, 1986
Octodrilus Omodeo, 1956
Octolasion Örley, 1885
Octolasium Michaelsen, 1900
Omilurus Templeton, 1836
Orodrilus Bouché, 1972
Perelia Easton, 1983
Philomontanus Bozorgi, Seiedy, Malek, Aira, Pérez-Losada & Domínguez, 2019
Pietromodeona Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Postandrilus Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Proctodrilus Zicsi, 1985
Prosellodrilus Bouché, 1972
Reynoldsia Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Satchellius Gates, 1975
Scherotheca Bouché, 1972
Spermophorodrilus Bouché, 1975
Tetragonurus Eisen, 1874
Zophoscolex Qiu & Bouché, 1998
Range
The worms in the family Lumbricidae originate from Europe, but over time members of the family have since been introduced and spread around the globe.
Europe
Members of Lumbricidae are native to Europe and are most diverse in southern Europe. There are 30 species from the family in Ireland and Britain. Notably, a single mature individual of the species Prosellodrilus amplisetosus was found in a survey of soil biodiversity in Ireland. P. amplisetosis had never been recorded in Ireland before and is commonly found in France or Spain. It is thought to have been introduced by humans through agricultural supplies. Another interesting case is of the species Dendrobaena attemsi in Scandinavia. They were first found in a national park in Sweden, the furthest north the species have been found. The discovery of D. attemsi implies the range of the species is increasing north. It is not only in Sweden that species of Lumbricidae are expanding their range. Many of the species found in Finland are exhibiting similar increases in range and Lumbricidae worms are also expanding into Northeastern Europe, starting from the near Baltic sea.
A 2022 molecular phylogenetic study of the highly diverse Franco-Iberian genus Zophoscolex showed most of the Iberian species to form a distinct clade, formally described as Castellodrilus stat. nov.. Other species were moved to the genera Cataladrilus and Compostelandrilus, with the remaining species remaining in Zophoscolex restricted to French representatives.
Asia
Lumbricidae make up the majority of earthworms found in China, despite not being native to the area.
At higher elevations in India, some species of Lumbicidae can be found.
North America
When European settlers came to North America, so did European earthworms like the Lumbricidae. Before this, the area in North America where glaciers had been were mostly worm-free. Lumbricidae worms are known to be expanding into the Great Lakes region. The introduced worms have an impact on the native species and environments. Species from the family, such as Lumbricus rubelles, are believed to have displaced the local species in a number of regions. In others, Lumbricidae species outnumber the native species in terms of biomass. Despite this, they are not as productive, in terms of processing nitrogen and phosphorus, as the native species. Lumbricidae worms also tend to have a higher species richness than native North American worms, though the species richness of both the native and Lumbricidae decreases with increasing latitudes.
New Zealand and Australia
Similar to North America, worms from the family were introduced to New Zealand and Australia by European settlers.
Predators
Harvestmen, especially from the genera Leiobunum and Hadrobunus, are known to consume Lumbricidae earthworms. This happens mostly in temperate regions. Another species known to prey on Lumbricidae is the Bannan caecilian. Lumbricidae are an important part of its diet.
References
External links
Earthworm Society of Britain – information on British earthworms
Haplotaxida
Annelid families