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General Information

COMMON NAMES: earthworm GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Himalayas; EXOTIC Circumtropical COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group (RR - common; ?Outer Islands); Land, volcanic lowlands; restricted to moist organic piles KEY FEATURES: Size 30-180x3-7 mm. Pigmented: claret red with blue iridescence. Clitellum darker or paler near head in 13-16,17. Setae numerous per segment. First dorsal pore c. 4/5. Female pore single on 14. Male pores closely paired on 18 with tips of black setae showing. Spermathecal pores closely paired in 7/8/9. Gizzard weak or absent, intestinal caeca absent. Body flattens and wriggles back and forth when disturbed, no lashing behaviour. Tail tapers and may be shed. SIMILAR SPECIES: Amynthas Metaphire

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
P

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Perionyx excavatus Perrier, 1872
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ANNELIDA; OLIGOCHAETA; Haplotaxid; Lumbricina; MEGASCOLECIDAE

GENERAL NOTE: One of the main species used in tropical vermicomposting to recycle organic matter and produce worms for stockfeed protein, bait etc. High reproductive rate. Easily cultured in laboratory. Specimens wander and climb readily. Amputation and regeneration are common.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
Special Reference: Gates, G.E. (1972). Burmese earthworms - An introduction to the systematics and biology of megadrile oligochaetes with special reference to southeast Asia. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 62(7): 1-326.

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD02

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