Description of Enchytronia pygmaea sp. n. (Enchytraeidae, Clitellata), a very small enchytraeid in European soils

Abstract

A new and very small European species of terrestrial enchytraeids is described, Enchytronia pygmaea sp. nov. (Enchytraeidae, Oligochaeta). It differs from all enchytraeids known so far in the chaetal pattern: lateral bundles have 2 chaetae from segment II to V, 0 from segment VI to XII–XV, and only 1 chaeta in lateral postclitellar bundles; ventral bundles have 2 chaetae. A further peculiarity is the presence of only 1 pair of preclitellar nephridia. The species must be considered as widespread as it is recorded here from 17 different localities distributed over seven European countries ranging from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean zone.

Keywords

• New species
• Oligochaeta
• Annelida
• soil biodiversity
• taxonomy