Scientists have discovered two new species of earthworms of the primitive Drawida genus from the southern Western Ghats.
The study, published in the open access international journal ZooKeys on August 17 by scientists from Kerala’s Mahatma Gandhi University and Shoolini University in Himachal Pradesh, reports the discovery of five earthworm species previously not recorded in Kerala.
One of the new species, Drawida polydiverticulata, has more than two lobes in its reproductive organs, distinguishing it clearly from other species of earthworms. This species is widespread in the shola -grasslands of Idukki district, including Eravikulam National Park, Pampadum Shola National Park, and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The second new species, Drawida thomasi , collected at the Kozhippara Waterfalls in Malappuram district, is approximately 5 cm long and bluish in colour. According to the study, it is named in honour of A.P. Thomas, director of M.G. University's Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, “for initiating taxonomic studies on earthworms of Kerala.”
The survey, conducted across various habitats in Kerala, including coasts and hilly tracts, revealed five new records of Drawida earthworms from Kerala: Drawida elegans , D. kanarensis , D. Modesta , D. thustoni, and D. somavarpatana .
Drawida earthworms are distributed across Indo-China, southeast Asia and northern Japan. Of the 73 species of Drawida earthworms found in India, 43 are found in the Western Ghats. India is home to 505 earthworm species, of which 200 are found in the Western Ghats.
