Dr Tomas Pavlicek, biologist - Species richness of earthworms in the Levant

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Syria

Earthworm fauna of Syria

Altogether eleven species belonging to the families Lumbricidae and Criodrilidae had been recorded in Syria at the end of the 19th century (Rosa, 1893) and at the beginning of the 20th century (Michaelsen, 1910). In our knowledge, these are the only earthworms records from Syria gathered till now,

Table 8. A summary table of the earthworms of Syria. (Abbreviations: A-species regarded as autochthonous ones, P-species regarded as peregrine ones).

Species	Recorded in	Expected origin
Family Lumbricidae
Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826)including forma trapezoids	Rosa, 1893; Michaelsen, 1926	P
Aporrectodea georgii (Michaelsen, 1890)	Michaelsen, 1926	A
Dendrobaena fedtschenkoi (Michaelsen, 1900)	Michaelsen, 1926	A
Dendrobaena byblica byblica (Rosa, 1893)	Rosa, 1893	A
Dendrobaena kervillei (Michaelsen, 1910)	Michaelsen, 1910, 1926	A
Dendrobaena semitica (Rosa, 1893)	Michaelsen, 1926	A
Eisenia tetraedra (Savigny, 1826)	Michaelsen, 1926	P
Eiseniella neapolitana (Örley, 1885)	Rosa, 1893	A
Helodrilus patriarchalis (Rosa, 1893)	Rosa, 1893	A
Octodrilus complanatus (Dugès, 1828)	Michaelsen, 1926	A
Family Criodrilidae
Criodrilus lacuum (Hoffmeister, 1845)	Rosa, 1893; Michaelsen, 1926	A
Total: 11 species		2P + 9A

References

Michaelsen, W. 1926. Note sur les Oligochètes rapportés par M. Henri Gadeau de Kerville de son voyage zoologique en Syrie. (Avril-Juin 1908). Voyag. Zool. Gadeau Kerrville, Syrie 1: 351–354.

Michaelsen, W., 1910. Oligochäten von verschiedenen Gebieten. Mitteilungen aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum Hamburg. 27:, 47-169.

Rosa D., 1893. Viaggi del Dr. E. Festa in Palestina nel Libano e regioni vicine. II. Lumbricidi. Boll. del Mus. Reg. di Sci. Nat. Torino 8:1–14.