An Preliminary Survey of Earthworm Species Composition and Distribution in Thenorth Karnataka Region, Gulbarga, Karnataka

Abstract

A preliminary survey on earthworm species from north Karnataka region, Gulbarga district, Karnataka state, India, has been conducted from January 2012 to December 2013. Survey was conducted in three regions of Gulbarga district i.e. Afzalpur, Chittapur, and Sedam taluk. Six species of earthworms were identified belonging to four families namely lumbricidae, Octochaetidae, Megascolecidae and Eudrilidae. Eisenia fetida belonging to family lumbricidae, Dichogaster bolaui belong to family Octochaetidae, Polypheretima elongate, Perionyx sansibaricus and Perionyx excavates belong to family Megascolecidae and Eudrilus eugeniae belonging to family Eudrilidae. Among the species, Eudrilus eugeniae does not occur naturally and are produced from external sources for vermicomposting units.