Earthworm species in different land use systems in the state of Goiás and the Federal District of Brazil.

The state of Goiás and the Federal District together cover an area of about 346 thousand km2, including the diversified Cerrado vegetation, also known as the Brazilian Savanna, a biodiversity hotspot with many endangered and endemic species. Much of the Cerrado has been converted to agriculture, but little is known of its earthworms, and the impacts of land use management and agricultural practices on their density and diversity. In the present paper we review the known earthworm species in Goiás and the Federal District based on historical and museum records, and update information on their distribution and populations in different counties and land use systems with data from recent samplings. Five additional species are reported here for the first time, raising the total to 12 species currently known from Goiás, from the families Benhamiidae (1), Glossoscolecidae (1), Megascolecidae (3), Ocnerodrilidae (2) and Rhinodrilidae (5). In the Federal District, an additional 10 species are reported, bringing the total to 23 earthworm species, belonging to the families Benhamiidae (4), Eudrilidae (1), Glossoscolecidae (2), Ocnerodrilidae (1), Lumbricidae (2), Megascolecidae (1) and Rhinodrilidae (12). Native species in Goiás (6) were found in areas with lesser disturbance, such as in native forest and flooded areas/river banks, a phenomenon also observed in the Federal District. On the other hand, the exotic and peregrine species found in Goiás (6) and in the Federal District (9) dominated in disturbed sites, such as perennial crops, agroforestry, annual crops, urban areas, secondary forests, pastures and agropastoral systems, among others. Given the many new species found and the extension of Goiás and the Federal District, further effort is needed to adequately characterize the earthworm fauna of the region, from where many other species are expected.

Brasilisia n. gen. and Arraia n. gen., two new genera of Ocnerodrilidae (Annelida, Clitellata, Oligochaeta) from Eastern Amazonia, Brazil.

We describe two new species from two new genera of Ocnerodrilidae from Alcântara and Rosário counties of Maranhão, Brazil. They were collected in very sandy soil in the transition between the Amazonia and Cerrado biomes. One of the species, Brasilisia punki n. sp., is the first report of earthworms of this family with an unusual pattern of genital markings and a gizzard in segment five. The other species Arraia nelmae n. sp. has a gizzard in segment six and a pair of calciferous glands in nine. We also provide an updated key for all genera of Ocnerodrilidae.

Three new species of Holoscolex (Clitellata, Glossoscolecidae) from the Gurupi Biological Reserve, last forest remnant of the Belém Endemism Area, Eastern Amazon.

We describe three new species of the earthworm genus Holoscolex from the Gurupi Biological Reserve in Maranhão state, Brazil. The Reserve, with the Indigenous Territories Awá, Caru, Alto Turiaçu and Alto Rio Guamá represent the last continuous forest remnants of the Belém Endemism Area, the most deforested and threatened area of Brazilian Amazonia. Holoscolex dossantosi sp. nov. has tubercula pubertatis looking like double bands, Holoscolex alatus sp. nov. presents alate tubercula pubertatis, and Holoscolex fernandoi sp. nov. has testis sacs and several intraclitellar atrial glands associated with genital markings between XIX and XXII. The presence of these unusual characters in Holoscolex fernandoi sp. nov. suggests that this species could be an evolutionary transitional stage linking Eudrilidae and more recent Glossoscolecidae genera.

Additions to Andiorrhinus (Turedrilus) (Rhinodrilidae, Clitellata) from Eastern Amazonia.

Two new species of the earthworm family Rhinodrilidae (Clitellata), from Maranhão state, Brazil, were studied by dissection. Andiorrhinus (Turedrilus) miricuri n. sp. is the first record of a big earthworm for this region with three pairs of large spermathecae in segments 7-9 and one pair of tubercula pubertatis bands lateral to b line in XX-XXV. Andiorrhinus (Turedrilus) barrosoi n. sp. lacks spermathecae and has one pair of tubercula pubertatis bands lateral to b line in XX-(1/3) XXIV. The earthworms described are from the most threatened region of Amazonia where 75% of forest cover is already lost. More information is urgently necessary to assess their ecology and vulnerability status.

Earthworm diversity in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The knowledge regarding earthworm species richness in subtropical Brazil is limited, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), where only a few sites have been sampled. In this study we assessed earthworm richness in different ecosystems of RS, prioritizing un-sampled regions. Fifteen ecosystems, including native vegetation and other ecosystems with variable levels of disturbance were sampled in 30 counties in RS, totaling 77 sampling points, mainly in the Pampa biome. Qualitative sampling was performed by handsorting soil monoliths and fixing the earthworms in 4% formalin solution. Species identification was based on morphological characters, and species richness and Shannon (H) and McIntosh (U) diversity indices were calculated for each ecosystem. Twenty-one earthworm species were identified, belonging to seven families: Glossoscolecidae (8), Rhinodrilidae (2), Ocnerodrilidae (4), Megascolecidae (4), Acanthodrilidae (1), Lumbricidae (1) and Criodrilidae (1). From these, ten are new species belonging to the genera: Glossoscolex (6), Fimoscolex (1), Kerriona (1), Eukerria (1), and one aquatic species of the Criodrilidae family, belonging to a new genus. Most of the native species (Urobenus brasiliensis, Fimoscolex n.sp.1 and the Glossoscolex spp.) predominated in ecosystems little altered by human activity, while exotic (Amynthas gracilis, Amynthas rodericensis, Metaphire californica, Aporrectodea trapezoides) and peregrine species (Pontoscolex corethrurus) predominated in areas with more human disturbance. Native ecosystems with lower disturbance, particularly forests and native pastures had higher diversity than disturbed sites. This is the first record of A. rodericencis for Brazil and most sites represent new collection records for the known species in RS.

New earthworm species of Righiodrilus (Clitellata, Glossoscolecidae) from eastern Amazonia.

Three new species of the glossoscolecid earthworm genus Righiodrilus are described from material collected in northern Pará and Maranhão States, Brazil. Rhigiodrilus gurupi n. sp. is characterized by four pairs of post-testicular spermathecae in xiv-xvii. Rhigiodrilus viseuensis n. sp. is distinguished by tubercula pubertatis in xix-xxiii and clitellum in xvi-xxiii. Rhigiodrilus moju n. sp. is the only species in the genus that lacks tubercula pubertatis. We provide an updated key and a distribution map for all species of Righiodrilus.