Species Composition of Earthworms in Tropical Dry Evergreen and Southern Thorn Forests of Kolli Hill, a Part of Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
Murugesan Murali
Department of Zoology, Sri Vidya Mandir Arts & Science College (Autonomous and Affiliated to Periyar University), Katteri, Uthangarai-636902, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, India and Research Department of Zoology, Centre for Eco-friendly Agro-Technologies (Vermibiotechnology), Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous & Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Puthanampatti – 621 007, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India.
Durairajan Selvamuthukumaran
Research Department of Zoology, Centre for Eco-friendly Agro-Technologies (Vermibiotechnology), Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous & Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Puthanampatti – 621 007, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kannaiyan Sathis Kumar
Research Department of Zoology, Centre for Eco-friendly Agro-Technologies (Vermibiotechnology), Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous & Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Puthanampatti – 621 007, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India and Department of Biotechnology, Vivekanandha College of Arts and Sciences for Women (Autonomous and Affiliated to Periyar University), Elayampalayam - 637 205, Tiruchengode, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India.
Periyasamy Neelanarayanan
*
Research Department of Zoology, Centre for Eco-friendly Agro-Technologies (Vermibiotechnology), Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous & Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Puthanampatti – 621 007, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An attempt has been made to study the diversity of earthworms in Tropical Dry Evergreen and Southern Thorn Forests of Kolli hill, a part of Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. The present study was carried out between June 2009 and May 2011. The results revealed that a total of seven species of earthworms belonging to five genera and four families under the class Oligochaeta were observed and recorded in the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest. Among these, two species belong to the family Moniligastridae, Drawida gracilis Gates, 1925, and Drawida bullata Gates, 1933; three species belong to the family Megascolecidae, Megascolex cochinensis Stephenson, 1915, Megascolex eunephrus Cognetti, 1911 and Perionyx ceylanensis Michaelsen 1903; one species belong to the family Rhinodrilidae, Pontoscolex corethrurus Muller, 1857; and one species belong to the family Octochaetidae, Hoplochaetella stuarti Bourne, 1886. However, of these, only five earthworm species were found in the study area all through the study period, while the other two species such as M. cochinensis and M. eunephrus were rarely encountered. A total of five species of earthworms belonging to four genera and three families under the class Oligochaeta were observed in the Southern Thorn Forest. Among these, two species belong to family Moniligastridae Drawida gracilis Gates, 1925 and Drawida bullata Gates, 1933; two species belong to the family Megascolecidae Perionyx ceylanensis Michaelsen, 1903 and Megascolex bidiverticulatus sp. n. and one species belong to the family Octochaetidae Hoplochaetella stuarti Bourne, 1886. Of the five, only three earthworm species viz., D. gracilis, H. stuarti and M. bidiverticulatus were found in the Southern Thorn Forest all through the study period. Of all the earthworm species the D. gracilis Gates 1925 is reported for the first time in India. The lengthy earthworm M. bidiverticulatus sp. n. is new to the science.
Keywords: Earthworms, tropical dry evergreen forests, Oligochaeta, macro fauna, soil ecosystems