Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872) (Clitellata, Megascolecidae): A new addition to the South Asian earthworm fauna

Abstract

The presence of the exotic and potentially invasive pheretimoid earthworm Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872) of the family Megascolecidae is reported for the first time from South Asia. Specimens were collected from Dehradun of the Uttarakhand state in the Western Himalayan biodiversity hotspot of India. This work provides the detailed description of the specimens collected along with figures. Besides, certain biological aspects are also discussed.

Keywords

• annelida
• india
• oligochaeta
• peregrine
• uttarakhand
• western himalaya