A list of earthworm species recorded in the Levant

(for the list of earthworms in Israel, please click here )
Species Origin in the Levant References (see list below)
Family Lumbricidae 
Allolobophora chlorotica (Savigny, 1826) Cosmopolitan Omodeo 1956, Rosa 1893
Aporrectodea caliginosa caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) Cosmopolitan Michaelsen 1926, Pavlíček et al. 1997, Omodeo 1956, Rosa 1893
Aporrectodea caliginosa trapezoides (Ant. Dugès, 1828) Cosmopolitan Omodeo 1956, Zicsi 1985, Michaelsen 1926
Aporrectodea jassyensis Michaelsen, 1891 Possibly autochthonous Omodeo 1956, Rosa 1893
Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny, 1826) Introduced Omodeo 1956, Pavlíček et al. 1997, Rosa 1893, Zicsi 1985
Bimastos jordanis Csuzdi et Pavlíček, 1999 Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002
Bimastos parvus(Eisen, 1874) Introduced Pavlíček et al. 2003
Bimastos syriacus (Rosa, 1893) Autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Černosvitov 1940, Omodeo 1956; Pavlíček et al. 1996, Rosa 1893; Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena byblica(Rosa, 1893) Autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Černosvitov 1940, 1942; Michaelsen 1926, Rosa 1893; Stephenson 1913, Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena hauseri Zicsi, 1973 Autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999; Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena hortensis(Michaelsen, 1890) Possibly introduced Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999
Dendrobaena kervillei (Michaelsen, 1910)Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Michaelsen 1910, Michaelsen 1926, Omodeo 1956, Rosa 1893; Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena negevis Csuzdi et Pavlíček, 1999 Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002
Dendrobaena nevoi Csuzdi et Pavlíček, 1999 Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999;
Dendrobaena orientalis Černosvitov, 1940 Autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Černosvitov 1940, Omodeo 1956 such as D. semitica, Pavlíček et. 1996, Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena rothschildae Csuzdi et Pavlíček, 1999 Endemic Csuzdi et al. 1999
Dendrobaena samarigera (Rosa, 1893) Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, Michaelsen 1901, Omodeo 1956, Pavlíček et. 1996, Rosa 1893, Stephenson 1922.
Dendrobaena semitica (Rosa, 1893) Possibly endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Michaelsen 1926, Omodeo 1952, 1956, Pavlíček et. 1996, Rosa 1893, Zicsi 1985
Dendrobaena veneta veneta (Rosa, 1886) Possibly autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 1999, 2002, Pavlíček et. al. 1996, 1997, Zicsi 1985
Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) Introduced Omodeo 1956
Eiseniella neapolitana (Örley, 1885) Autochthonous Černosvitov 1940, Michaelsen 1926, Rosa 1893, Stephenson 1924
Eiseniella tetraedra (Savigny, 1826) Introduced Michaelsen 1926; Pavlíček et al . 1997, Rosa 1893
Helodrilus patriarchalis (Rosa 1893) Introduced Pavlíček et al. 1997,
Octodrilus complanatus (Ant. Dugès, 1828) Autochthonous Michaelsen 1926; Rosa 1893
Murchieona minuscula (Rosa, 1906) Autochthonous Csuzdi & Pavlíček 2002, Omodeo & Rota 1991
Perelia aharonii (Stephenson, 1922) Endemic, possibly extinct Stephenson 1922
Perelia galileana Csuzdi et Pavlicek, 2005 Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 2005
Perelia shamsi Csuzdi et Pavlicek, 2005 Endemic Csuzdi & Pavlíček 2005
Family Ocnerodrilidae 
Ocnerodrilus occidentalis Eisen, 1878   Introduced Černosvitov 1942
Family Criodrilidae
Criodrilus lacuum Hoffmeister, 1845 Possibly introduced Černosvitov 1938, 1940, Michaelsen 1926, Rosa 1893, Stephenson 1913
Family Acanthodrilidae
Microscolex dubius (Fletcher, 1887) Introduced Pavlíček et al . 1996
Microscolex phosphoreus (A. Dugès, 1837) Introduced Černosvitov 1940
Dichogaster bolaui (Michaelsen, 1891) Introduced Pavlíček et al. 2003
Family Megascolecidae
Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867) Introduced Omodeo 1956

References

Černosvitov, L. 1938: “The Oligochaeta”. In: Washbourp, R. & Jones, R.F. (eds.) Report of the Percy Sladen Expedition to Lake Huleh; a contribution to the study of the fresh waters of Palestine”. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 11) 2: 535-550.

Černosvitov, L. 1940: On some Oligocheta from Palestine. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 11) 6: 438-447.

Černosvitov, L. 1942: Oligochaeta from various parts of the world. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 111: 197-236

Csuzdi, Cs. and Pavlíček, T. 1999: Earthworms from Israel. I. Genera Dendrobaena Eisen, 1874 and Bimastos Moore, 1891 (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Isr. J. Zool. 45: 467-486. Abstract

Csuzdi, Cs. and Pavlíček, T. 2002: Murchieona minuscula (Rosa, 1906), a new recorded earthworm from Israel, and distribution of genera Dendrobaena and Bimastos in Israel (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae). Zool. Middle East 25: 105-114. Abstract

Csuzdi, Cs. and Pavlíček, T. 2005: Earthworms (Oligochaeta) of Jordan. Zool. Middle East 46 34: 71-78. Abstract

Csuzdi, Cs. and Pavlíček, T. 2005: Earthworms from Israel. II. Remarks on the genus Perelia Easton, 1983 with description of a new genus and two new species. Acta zool. hung. 51(2): 75-96. Abstract

Csuzdi, Cs., Pavlíček, T. and Nevo, E. 1999: A new earthworm species Dendrobaena rothschildae sp. nov. from Israel, and comments on the distribution of Dendrobaena species in the Levant (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Opusc. Zool. Budapest 31: 25-32. Abstract

Michaelsen, W. 1901: Oligochaeten der Zoologischen Museen zu St. Petersburg und Kiev. Bulletin de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg 15: 136-215.

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

Michaelsen, W. 1926: Note sur les Oligochètes rapportés par M. Henri Gadeau de  Kerville de son voyage zoologique en Syrie. In: Voyage zoologique d’Henri Gadeau de Kerville en Syrie (avril-juin 1908). Vol. 1. Baillière et fils, Paris, 152-351 pp.

Omodeo, P. 1956: Oligocheti dell’ Indocina e del Mediterraneo Orientale. Memorie del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona 5: 321-336.

Pavlíček, T., Csuzdi, Cs. and Nevo, E. 1997: The first recorded earthworms from Negev and Sinai deserts. Isr. J. Zool. 43: 1-3. Abstract

Pavlíček, T., Csuzdi, Cs. and Nevo, E. 2003: Species richness and zoogeographic affinities of earthworms in the Levant. Pedobiologia 47: 452-457. Abstract

Pavlíček, T., Csuzdi, Cs., Smooha, G., Beiles, A. and Nevo, E. 1996: Biodiversity and microhabitat distribution of earthworms at "Evolution Canyon," a Mediterranean microsite, Mount Carmel, Israel. Isr. J. Zool. 42: 449-454. Abstract

Rosa, D. 1893: Viaggi del Dr. E. Festa in Palestina, nel Libano e regioni vicine. Bollettino del Museo regionale di Scienze Naturali Torino 8: 1-14.

Stephenson, J. 1913: Aquatic Oligochaeta from the Lake of Tiberias. Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 9: 53.

Stephenson, J. 1922: On some earthworms from India and Palestine belonging to the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 9) 9: 129-136.

Stephenson, J. 1924:On some Indian Oligochaeta with a description of two new genera of Ocnerodrilidae. Records Indian Museum 26: 317-365.

Zicsi, A. 1985: Regenwürmer (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) aus Israel und den benachbarten Ländern. Revue suisse de Zoologie 92: 323-331.

Altogether, 11 species belonging to families Lumbricidae and Criodrilidae had been recorded in Syria at the end of the 19th century (Rosa, 1893) and beginning of the 20th century (Michaelsen, 1910, 1926). In our knowledge these are the only earthworms records from Syria gathered till now.

Table 3: Earthworms belonging to families Lumbricidae and Criodrilidae in Syria. Abbreviations: A-species regarded as autochthonous ones, P-species regarded as peregrine ones).

Species Recorded in Expected origin (see list below)
Family Lumbricidae 
Family Lumbricidae 
Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) including forma trapezoids(Savigny, 1826) (Rosa, 1893; Michaelsen, 1926) P
Aporrectodea georgii (Michaelsen, 1890) (Michaelsen, 1926) A
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 Dendrobanea 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 rapportes 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 Musei di Zool. ed Anat. Comp. della R. Univ. di Torino 8: 1–14.
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