Biodiversity of earthworm (Oligochaeta- Annelida) in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Earthworm samples were collected in different fields at intervals of 25 days at 768 randomly selected locations (8 blocks x 4 villages x 4 fields x 6 sites) in the Kushinagar district of northeast Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 18893 individuals were collected, representing 9 species, 7 genera, and 3 families. Among them, the most dominant species was Lampito mauritii (15.68%) followed by Metaphire posthuma (14.44%), Eisenia fetida (11.01%), Perionyx excavatus (10.22%), Ramiella bishambari (10.17%), Eutyphoeus waltoni (9.87%), Eutyphoeus incommodus (9.82%), Amynthas morrisi (9.69%), and Dichogaster bolaui (9.10%). In Kushinagar district, Megascolecidae and Acanthodrilidae accounted for the largest families, each representing 50.03 % and 38.96% distribution in the fields in different blocks. Lumbricidae family represents only 11.01% of distribution in the fields. Different ecological indices were calculated at all the locations and date intervals and its consequences were discussed