Exploration of Earthworms of India through Online Digital Library

Abstract

Online digital library (http://earthwormsofindia.com) for identification of earthworms of India has been developed for the first time. The database comprises digital keys for identification of earthworms of India, diagnostics, and mathematical parameters to provide a useful supplement for traditional morphological taxonomists and nonexperts in this area. This will scientifically broaden the taxonomic coverage of Indian earthworms. The genomic signatures with short sequences from standardized regions of the genome for 1192 specimens of earthworms were generated. Earlier, species identification of adult earthworms was possible only by dissection of the anterior end. However, this method is labor intensive, time-consuming, and very difficult for nonspecialists, particularly when dealing with field collections consisting of several different earthworm species. Furthermore, identification is limited to adult worms, as most life stages are unidentifiable and many morphological and anatomical characteristics of earthworms are variable, consequently, and the degree of variability can differ and features can overlap the taxa. The present work appears pioneer endeavor in this direction, as there appears no work available on the digitization of earthworms of India.