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A contribution to the earthworm (Annelida, Clitellata, Megadrili) fauna of the central Indian state Chhattisgarh, India

Opuscula Zoologica 2023 3 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
S. Prasanth Narayanan, Ajay Harit, Manoj Singh, S. P. Bhattacharyya, Arkadeb Dutta, A. P. Thomas

Summary

Researchers conducted an earthworm fauna survey in Chhattisgarh, India, documenting 12 species across 4 families including exotic and range-expanding species. The study also reported the first confirmed presence of microplastics in the ingesta of an earthworm species (Lampito mauritii) in India.

Drawida willsi was the first species of earthworm reported from Chhattisgarh state by Michaelsen in 1907. After that, only one survey of earthworm has been carried out there in 2021. Here we present a first-hand information on the survey of earthworms carried out in Chhattisgarh state in the year 2022. The study documents 12 species belonging to 4 families. Among these, Dichogaster affinis (Michaelsen, 1890) and Polypheretima elongata (Perrier, 1872) are exotic peregrine species. Species such as Drawida limella Gates, 1934, Lennogaster chittagongensis (Stephenson, 1917) and Octochaetona compta (Gates, 1945) expanded their distribution to central India. The study also noted the presence of microplastic for the first time in the ingesta of an earthworm (Lampito mauritii Kinberg, 1867) from India. Further detailed survey would add more species into the faunal list of Chhattisgarh, even species new to science.

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