New record of the earthworm Drawida papillifer papilliferStephenson from West Bengal, India
A.Chowdhury 1, A.K. Hazra 2
& A.P. Nandi 3
1 Present
Address: Birati High School (H.S.), P.O. Birati, Kolkata, West Bengal 700051, India
2 Zoological Survey of India, ‘M’ Block, New Alipore,
Kolkata, West Bengal 700053, India
3 Department of Zoology, University ofBurdwan, Rajbati, Burdwan, West Bengal 713104, India
Email: 1 amitshampa84@rediffmail.com
Date of
publication (online): 26 February 2010
Date of
publication (print): 26 February 2010
ISSN 0974-7907
(online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: M. Gobi
Manuscript
details:
Ms # o2139
Received 09
February 2009
Final received
05 December 2009
Finally accepted
04 February 2010
Citation: Chowdhury, A., A.K. Hazra &
A.P. Nandi (2010). New record of the earthworm Drawida papillifer papillifer Stephenson from West Bengal, India. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 2(2): 716-717.
Copyright: © A. Chowdhury, A.K. Hazra & A.P.
Nandi 2010. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedLicense. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article
in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by
providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Acknowledgements:Authors
are indebted to Dr. J. M. Julka, Emeritus scientist,
Zoological Survey of India, Solan for confirming the
earthworm species. Authors are grateful to the Director, Zoological Survey of
India for providing laboratory facilities
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Perrier (1872) was first to
report of an earthworm species Perichaeta houlleti from West Bengal. Thereafter Beddard(1883, 1900, 1901, 1902), Michaelsen (1907, 1910),
Stephenson (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923) had contributed to the taxonomic studies of
earthworm from West Bengal. Later a
considerable work has been done by Gates’ (1937, 1938 a, b, 1951, 1958), Halder & Julka (1967), Julka (1975), Soota & Halder (1977, 1981), Halder(1998), Chowdhury & Hazra(2008, in press), Chowdhury et al. (2008, in
press). So far, 64 species of earthworm
under 26 genera were reported from West Bengal. During the studies on earthworm, the present species was collected from
north 24 parganas District (23015’2”-22011’6”N &
89005’-88020’E) of West Bengal. The
species Drawida papillifer papillifer hitherto not recorded from West
Bengal. Details of the species discussed
herewith.
Diagnostic
characters:
External: Length 70-125mm;
diameter 3-5mm. Segments
120-170. Clitellum red, ix-xiv. Colour bluish or
purplish. Setaelumbricine. Setae, aa <bc, dd = or
> ½ c. Male pores very small, superficial without protrusible porophores, paired,
in x, at or just lateral to b or nearer to middle of bc, each in a whitened semicircular area with
base at 10/11. Spermathecalpores paired in 7/8, very small, at or slightly median to c. Genital
markings small, circular to shortly elliptical and transverse translucent area,
in vii-viii and x-xi near spermathecal and male
pores, occasionally in other positions on vii-xii. Female pores paired at or just behind
11/12. Nephropores at or near d,
somewhat more dorsal in viii (Image 1 & Fig. 1).
Internal: Septa all
present from 4/5, 5/6-9/10 muscular. Gizzards 2-4, in
xiii-xx. Intestinal
origin in xxiii. Intestinal caecaand supra-intestinal glands absent. Holonephridia in iii and posterior segments. Nephridiaof x, present in adults. Sperm ducts
short, 5-10 mm long. Capsular prostates
paired, in x. Prostates 2-3 mm long. Spermathecal diverticula saccular, with a short stalk, 2-3 mm long in vii. Genital marking glands
small, spheroidal to ellipsoidal, beneath
longitudinal musculature.
Earlier Records:Gates
(1972) recorded this species from Meghalaya.
Remarks: In India, so
far, this species was known to occur only in Meghalaya. Therefore, this study indicates the species Drawida papillifer papillifer recorded for the first time from West
Bengal. Its’ present record from West
Bengal of great significance as its range is now extended to Gangetic plain. No
appreciable variation observed in this studied species from the earlier
observations of Gates (1972). In this
survey, this species were recorded near muddy canal with high amount of
decomposed and semi decomposed organic matter in an orchard. Sub soil
temperature 25.5 to 29.50C, sub soil relative humidity 74 to 93.5%, soil
organic carbon 1.08 to 1.92% and soil pH 6.4 to 6.75 were recorded in this site
during this study period.
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