taxonID	type	description	language	source
F81F8785FFA60819E1D45111FAFC56F7.taxon	description	(Figure 1 a)	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA60819E1D45111FAFC56F7.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. CEKUS / 2563, CEKUS / 2564, CEKUS / 2565, CEKUS / 2566, 4 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Barska reka), 43.30 N 20.74 E, river bank, F. Popović, 30.05.2019. CEKUS / 2567, CEKUS / 2568 2 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Kuršumlijska Banja), 43.25 N 20.69 E, oak forest, F. Popović, 04.05.2021.	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA60819E1D45111FAFC56F7.taxon	description	Morphological description. External morphology. Body pigmentation red violet in live specimens. Red violet homogeneous color in fixed specimens. Length 27 – 74 mm (Mršić 18 – 73 mm; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 30 – 72 mm) diameter 2 – 3.5 mm. Number of segments 91 – 116 (Mršić 76 – 112; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 94 – 112). The prostomium is epilobous 1 / 3 to tanylobous. First dorsal pore at intersegmental groove 5 / 6. The male aperture is clearly visible on the 15. segment. The female pores in 14 over setae b. The setae are widely paired. The spermathophores are situated on segments 23 / 24, 24 / 25, 25, 27, 29, 29 / 30, 30 lie near b or between aa or near a or between bc setal line. Clitellum saddle-shaped in segments 28, 29 – 34 (Cognetti 28 – 34, 35; Zicsi 28, 29 – 34; Mršić 26, 27, 28, 29 – 33, 34, 35; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 28, 29 – 34). Tubercula pubertatis in segments 31 – 33, ½ 34 (Cognetti 31 – 33; Zicsi 31 – 33, ½ 34; Mršić ½ 30, 31 – 32, 33, ½ 34; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 31 – 32, 33, ½ 34). Internal anatomy. Hearts in segments 7 – 11. Calciferous glands and lateral tubercles are situated in the 11. and 12. segments. Crop in segments 15 – 16, gizzard in segments 17 – 18. Three pairs of seminal vesicles in the 9, 11, and 12. segments. Two pairs of spermathecae in segments 9 and 10 segments on the septa 9 / 10 and 10 / 11. The testes are in the 10 and 11 segments in the perioesophageal testis sacs. The nephridial bladders sausage-shaped (club-shaped). The typhlosole is club-shaped, rarely tongue-shaped. The longitudinal muscle is pennate.	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA60819E1D45111FAFC56F7.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Dendrobaena illyrica was described from Austria (Cognetti 1906) as Helodrilus (Dendrobaena) illyrica and has subsequently been reported throughout Central and Southern Europe. This species exhibits high variability in pigmentation, the position of the first dorsal pore, the position of the clitellum and tubercula pubertatis, the position of the calciferous glands, and the position of the spermathecae. It is a rare opportunity to find a specimen of D. illyrica that matches the first description. These morphological characters show a high degree of homoplasy within the genus. Also, the zoogeographic type of this species is questionable. Stojanović et al. (2018) considered that the main center of distribution of the species D. illyrica is in the western Balkans (Illyrian distribution). However, species D. illyrica has been found in the Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Montenegro and Serbia (Mršić 1991; Hackenberger Kutuzović & Hackenberger Kutuzović 2013; Lehmitz et al. 2014; Stojanović et al. 2018; Höser 2020; Sekulić et al. 2022). The species has never been recorded in Albania, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania Slovakia and Slovenia. Dendrobaena illyrica now appears to have a somewhat disjunct distribution comprising Central European (Austria, Czech Republic and Germany) and Illyrian (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia) types (Fig. 2). According to Sekulić et al. (2021), the southernmost border of the distribution of D. illyrica is the Šar Mountains. Considering all the facts mentioned for D. illyrica, it can be assumed that the Western Balkans (Northern Dinarides) area is the center of origin and distribution.	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA50819E1D451C7FB2352DF.taxon	description	(Figure 1 b)	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA50819E1D451C7FB2352DF.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined. CEKUS / 2806, CEKUS / 2807, CEKUS / 2808, CEKUS / 2809 CEKUS / 2810, 5 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Lukovska Banja), 43.16 N 21.03 E, beech forest, F. Popović, 11.03.2020; CEKUS / 2812, CEKUS / 2813, CEKUS / 2814, CEKUS / 2815 4 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Kuršumlijska Banja), 43.25 N 20.69 E, oak forest, F. Popović, 04.05.2021; CEKUS / 2818, CEKUS / 2819 2 exp., Serbia, Kopaonik Mt. (Metođe), 43.3 N 20.85 E, river bank, F. Popović, 21.06.2021.	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA50819E1D451C7FB2352DF.taxon	description	Morphological description. External morphology. Body pigmentation red violet in live specimens. Red violet homogeneous color in fixed specimens. Length 10 – 25 mm (Karaman 12 – 21 mm; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 12 – 21 mm) diameter 2 mm. Number of segments 53 – 89 (Karaman 58 – 81; Stojanović-Petrović et al. 58 – 81). The prostomium is prolobous to epilobous. First dorsal pore is no visible. The male aperture on the 15. segment. The female pores in 14 over setae b. The setae are widely paired. Glandular papillae surround setae a and b on segments 10 and 11. The spermathophores are situated on segments 23 / 24, 24 / 25, 25, 27, 29, 29 / 30 lie near b or between aa or near a or between bc setal line. Clitellum annular in segments ½ 29, 29 – 33, ½ 34, 34 (Karaman ½ 29, 29 – 33, 34; Stojanović-Petrović et al. ½ 29, 29 – 33, 34). Tubercula pubertatis are absent (Karaman absent; Stojanović-Petrović et al. absent). Internal anatomy. Hearts in segments 7 – 11. Calciferous glands and lateral tubercles are situated in the 11. and 12. segments. Crop in segments 15 – 16, gizzard in segments 17 – 18. Three pairs of seminal vesicles in the 9, 11, and 12. segments. Two pairs of spermathecae in segments 9 and 10 segments on the septa 9 / 10 and 10 / 11. The nephridial bladders sausage-shaped. The typhlosole is club-shaped. The longitudinal muscle is pennate.	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
F81F8785FFA50819E1D451C7FB2352DF.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Dendrobaena serbica was found and described by Karaman (1973), and our examined specimens are in complete agreement with her description. On the other hand, D. serbica was considered a broad-range Balkan endemic, characteristic of the Balkan part of Serbia аnd Montenegro (Popović et al. 2023 a).	en	Popović, Filip J., Sekulić, Jovana M., Trakić, Tanja B. (2025): Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae). Zootaxa 5589 (1): 242-247, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.19
