Complete mitochondrial genome of the composting worm Dendrobaena veneta (Clitellata: Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae).

Dendrobaena veneta (Rosa, 1886) is widely distributed all over Europe due to its use as compost worm. The specimen presented here was collected in Tiranë district, Albania. Currently, only two species' complete or nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences have been reported in the genus Dendrobaena; D. octaedra (Savigny, 1826) and D. tellermanica Perel, 1966. In this study, the complete mitogenome of D. veneta was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The mitogenome of D. veneta is a circular DNA molecule, consisting of 15,475 bp with an A + T content of 61.2%. It contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 non-coding region (control region). Phylogenetic analysis showed that D. veneta is clustered with the other two Dendrobaena species in the well-supported family Lumbricidae.

On the molecular taxonomy of the Dendrobaena alpina species complex, with description of a new species (Crassiclitellata, Lumbricidae).

The molecular phylogenetic analysis of the D. alpina species group and related taxa revealed that this group in the present form is polyphyletic. The dark-red pigmented D. alpina alpina (Rosa, 1884) specimens from the Alps form a distinct clade together with D. alpina alteclitellata (Pop, 1938) and D. clujensis Pop, 1938 (Central European clade). The unpigmented Bulgarian specimens are now part of a clade consisting of Anatolian and Levantine species, namely D. orientalis Cernosvitov, 1940, D. pentheri (Rosa, 1905), D. orientaloides Zicsi, 1985 and D. semitica Rosa, 1893a. Consequently, the unpigmented worms from Bulgaria represent a new species described herein as Dendrobaena misirlioglui sp. nov.

Checklist of the earthworms of Albania (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae).

According to the up-to-date checklist, the earthworm fauna of Albania consists of 31 species and subspecies, all belonging to the family Lumbricidae. Among them, four species, Dendrobaena feheri Szederjesi & Csuzdi, 2017, D. skipetarica Szederjesi & Csuzdi, 2017, Eisenia muranyii Szederjesi & Csuzdi, 2015 and Octodrilus albanicus Szederjesi & Csuzdi, 2012 are strict endemics, accompanied by the presence of further five Balkanic endemic species.

Species Delimitation of the Eisenia nordenskioldi Complex (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) Using Transcriptomic Data.

Eisenia nordenskioldi (Eisen, 1879) is the only autochthonous Siberian earthworm with a large distribution that ranges from tundra to steppe and broadleaved forests. This species has a very high morphological, ecological, karyological, and genetic diversity, so it was proposed that E. nordenskioldi should be split into several species. However, the phylogeny of the complex was unclear due to the low resolution of the methods used and the high diversity that should have been taken into account. We investigated this question by (1) studying the diversity of the COI gene of E. nordenskioldi throughout its range and (2) sequencing transcriptomes of different genetic lineages to infer its phylogeny. We found that E. nordenskioldi is monophyletic and is split into two clades. The first one includes the pigmented genetic lineages widespread in the northern and western parts of the distribution, and the second one originating from the southern and southeastern part of the species' range and representing both pigmented and non-pigmented forms. We propose to split the E. nordenskioldi complex into two species, E. nordenskioldi and Eisenia sp. 1 (aff. E. nordenskioldi), corresponding to these two clades. The currently recognized non-pigmented subspecies E. n. pallida will be abolished as a polyphyletic and thus a non-natural taxon, while Eisenia sp. 1 will be expanded to include several lineages earlier recognized as E. n. nordenskioldi and E. n. pallida.

Description of a new Central African earthworm, Petroscolex centenarius gen. et sp. nov. (Crassiclitellata, Eudrilidae), celebrating the 100th birthday of Pietro Omodeo.

Prof. Pietro Omodeo (University of Siena, Italy), the world-renowned earthworm taxonomist and evolutionary biologist, was born in Cefalù, Sicily, Italy on the 27th September, 1919. He celebrates his 100th birthday in 2019 and members of the international community of earthworm taxonomists salute him with Petroscolex centenarius gen. et sp. nov., a new megadrile taxon discovered in 1991 by him but which has not been formally described until now. The many important contributions of Omodeo to oligochaetological research are briefly mentioned.

Annotated checklist of earthworm species described by András Zicsi (Clitellata: Megadrili).

Professor András Zicsi, the renowed taxonomist and ecologist of earthworms, passed away on 22 July, 2015. He had a decisive impact on earthworm taxonomy in the second half of the 20th century, describing 10 new genus group taxa and 243 species / subspecies new to science distributed in 10 families. A complete list of the new taxa described by Prof. Zicsi is presented here together with references to the original descriptions and the valid names.

DNA barcoding of the Italian anecic Octodrilus species in rural (vineyard) and forested areas with description of Octodrilus zicsiniello sp. nov. (Clitellata, Megadrili).

DNA barcoding of 172 anecic Octodrilus specimens collected in NE Italy and bordering Croatia has been carried out. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree showed high support for almost all currently recognized species, however, some unexpected results also appeared. The clade representing Oc. pseudocomplanatus contains a highly advanced subclade, which morphologically resembles Oc. slovenicus. The highly supported Oc. tergestinus clade consists of four unresolved divergent lineages of which the first corresponds to Oc. istrianus and the second resembles Oc. mimus morphologically; the third and fourth clades show typical tergestinus characters. The widely distributed Oc. complanatus consists of three highly divergent subclades which are sister to a new species, Oc. zicsiniello sp. nov., hereunder described.

Contribution to the knowledge of the earthworm fauna of Turkey with description of three new species (Clitellata: Megadrili).

During a recent survey, 29 earthworm species were collected from different parts of Turkey, 27 of which belong to the family Lumbricidae, one to Acanthodrilidae and one to Megascolecidae. Dendrobaena proved to be the most speciose genus with 12 recorded species including two species new to science, Dendrobaena pavliceki and Dendrobaena taurica spp. nov. In addition a third new species was also found belonging to the East Mediterranean genus Healyella: Healyella zicsii sp. nov. From the species recorded earlier for Turkey, D. fridericae uludagi Omodeo Rota, 1991 and He. boluana Omodeo Rota, 1989 were found for the first time since the original description. With these new records the number of earthworm species recorded for Turkey is raised to 84.

Resurrection of the earthworm species Dendrobaena fedtschenkoi (Michaelsen, 1900), a former synonym of Dendrobaena byblica (Rosa, 1893) (Clitellata: Megadrili).

Dendrobaena byblica (Rosa, 1893) is a Circum-Mediterranean earthworm species complex containing more than a dozen synonymous names. From these, only two species have been resurrected so far, D. ganglbaueri (Rosa, 1894) and Fitzingeria annectens (Rosa, 1895). Here we demonstrate that Dendrobaena fedtschenkoi (Michaelsen, 1900) described from the Pamir Mts. Tajikistan differs from D. byblica both in morphological and molecular features, and represents an independent species.

Molecular phylogeny and systematics of native North American lumbricid earthworms (Clitellata: Megadrili).

The family Lumbricidae is arguably the most well-known and well-studied earthworm group due to its dominance in the European earthworm fauna and its invasion in temperate regions worldwide. However, its North American members, especially the genus Bimastos Moore, 1893, are poorly understood. We revised the systematics of the genus Bimastos and tested the hypothesis of the monophyly of North American lumbricids using morphological characters and eight molecular markers. Phylogenetic analyses based on our extensive sampling of Bimastos and inclusion of Dendrodrilus and Allolobophoridella indicated a well-supported clade containing Bimastos and Eisenoides Gates, 1969, and provided the first evidence supporting that North American lumbricids are monophyletic. Assuming the available divergence time estimations and dating of land bridges are correct, it would suggest that the ancestor of this clade arrived North America through Beringia or the De Geer route during Late Cretaceous, and since then the clade has diverged from its Eurasian sister group, Eisenia. The peregrine genera Dendrodrilus and Allolobophoridella are nested within the Bimastos clade; we propose to treat them as junior synonyms of the genus Bimastos, and, contradictory to the commonly held belief of being European, they are indeed part of the indigenous North American earthworm fauna. Morphological characters, such as red-violet pigmentation, proclinate U-shaped nephridial bladders and calciferous diverticula in segment 10 further support this placement. The East Mediterranean-Levantine Spermophorodrilus Bouché, 1975 and Healyella Omodeo & Rota, 1989 are nested within the Dendrobaena sensu lato clade; therefore their close relationship with the North American Bimastos is refuted. Species fit the revised diagnosis of Bimastos are reviewed and keyed, and a new species, Bimastos schwerti sp. nov., is described.

An annotated checklist of earthworms of Greece (Clitellata: Megadrili).

The earthworm fauna of Greece is reviewed. According to the up-to-date checklist, the earthworm fauna of Greece consists of 67 species and subspecies, of which 59 taxa belong to the family Lumbricidae, three to Megascolecidae, two to Acanthodrilidae and to Ocnerodrilidae and one taxon to the family Criodrilidae. Three species are recorded for the first time from the country: Allolobophora kosowensis kosowensis Karaman, 1968, Amynthas gracilis (Kinberg, 1867) and Eukerria saltensis (Beddard, 1895). Eisenia spelaea var. athenica Cernosvitov, 1938 is proposed to be a synonym of Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny, 1826). The earthworm fauna of Greece is characterized by a large number of strict endemic species belonging to the family Lumbricidae (9 taxa), together with the occurrence of another 10 Balkanic endemic species.

Review of the Eisenia muganiensis (Michaelsen, 1910) species group with description of two new species (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae).

The Eisenia muganiensis species group is established, consisting of a set of Asian earthworm species characterized by elongate, backward placed clitellum and tubercles: Eisenia malevici Perel, 1962; Eisenia muganiensis (Michaelsen, 1910); Eisenia patriciae Szederjesi, Pavlícek, Coskun & Csuzdi, 2014 and Eisenia transcaucasica (Perel, 1967). The species are shortly reviewed and furthermore, two new species of the E. muganiensis group are described, E. kontschani sp. nov. from Turkey and E. malekae sp. nov. from Iran. 

New earthworm records from Turkey, with description of three new species (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae).

Identifying the earthworm material recently collected in different parts of Turkey (Marmara Region, Upper Mesopotamia, Hatay Province and East Anatolia) resulted in records of 29 earthworm species including three lumbricids new to science: Dendrobaena cevdeti, D. szalokii and Eisenia patriciae spp. nov. In addition, Dendrobaena cognettii is reported for the first time from the country. With this contribution, the number of earthworm species and subspecies registered in Turkey is raised to 80.