Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826)

Blakemore, Robert J., 2013, Ulleung-do earthworms - Dagelet Island revisited, Journal of Species Research 2 (1), pp. 55-68 : 64

Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826)

Material examined. INV0000261249, four Tongumi specimens, one a posterior amputee.

Description. Lengths 70-85 mm, colour red-striped with pale intersegments and pale laterally on 9-11. Epilobous with first dorsal pore in 4/5. Clitellum 25,26-31,32 with tubercula pubertates in 27,28-30.

Remarks. Cosmopolitan species, previously recorded from Ulleung-do (Song & Paik 1996: 14, Hong & Kim, 2005: 130). Often variously mixed with “ Eisenia fetida andrei Bouché, 1972 ” as either a synonym, as invalid morph or ‘variety’, as a sub-species or as a separate species but none with justification based on types nor priority. For example, Hong et al. (2001) claimed E. andrei from Korea but offered no DNA support. Thus E. andrei is not confirmed from Korea - nor elsewhere - mainly because as there are ca. 15 ignored or overlooked names currently in synonymy of E. fetida that have priority over E. andrei and are as yet untested. Some of these synonyms, listed in Blakemore (2002; 2004; 2010; 2012d), which are mostly still available under rules of ICZN are:

1. Lumbricus semifasciatus Burmeister, 1835 .

2. Lumbricus annularis Templeton, 1836 .

3. Lumbricus xanthurus Templeton, 1836 ?

4. Lumbricus olidus Hoffmeister, 1842 .

5. Lumbricus luteus Blanchard, 1849 .

6. Lumbricus rubrofasciatus Baird, 1873 .

7. Allolobophora nordenskiöldi Eisen, 1879 (in part.)?

[Review by Blakemore (in press)].

8. Lumbricus annulatus Hutton, 1876 /7.

9. Allolobophora foetida var. fimetoria Örley, 1881 .

10. Endrilus? annulatus : Smith, 1887.

11. Eisenia nordenskiöldi caucasica Michaelsen,

1903?

12. Eisenia foetida attica Tzelepe, 1943 .

13. Eisenia fasciata Backlund, 1948 apparently retain- ed as a valid species by some authors, e.g. Stöp-Bowitz (1969: 260, Table V), again this reference mostly overlooked.