Arquivos de Zoologia (Jun 2020)
From 1900 to 2000: History of Earthworm taxonomy in the North and Northeast of Brazil and its current distribution in Brazilian Biomes
Abstract
One of the initial milestones for earthworm taxonomy was the work of Michaelsen (1900), “Das Tierreich Oligochaeta”. During this period only two exotic species of the genus Amynthas were recorded for the North and Northeast of Brazil. A century has passed and little is known about the taxonomy of earthworms in these two regions and the distribution of these organisms in Brazilian Biomes. The Brazilian territory is divided into six large biomes, Amazonian, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampa, and Wetlands. Little is known about the distribution of earthworms in these environments. This article provides a review of the literature on the progress of taxonomy in northern and northeastern Brazil over a century and provides the current distribution of earthworms in Brazilian biomes. In the first four decades the taxonomy has advanced at a slow pace, with only 19 new species recorded. With the beginning of Gilberto Righi’s work, earthworm taxonomy has advanced significantly. After Righi’s death in 1999, taxonomy in the North and Northeast has only begun breathing again within the past two years, in which the description of nine new species and two new genera have appeared. There are currently 174 species distributed in thirteen of the sixteen states that make up the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. Regarding distribution, the Amazon, Mata Atlantica and Cerrado biomes stand out for being the most diverse in genera and species, while the Caatinga, Pampa and Pantanal biomes are less diversified. In addition, the Caatinga and Pampa are the only biomes having more exotic species than native species.
