Eudrilidae Claus, 1880

Plisko, Jadwiga Danuta, 2010, Megadrile earthworm taxa introduced to South African soils (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Eudrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Lumbricidae, Megascolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae), African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 289-289 : 293

Family Eudrilidae Claus, 1880

Representatives of the family Eudrilidae are confined to tropical and subtropical Central Africa ( Stephenson 1930; Sims 1987). The genera and species are mostly endemic, not spreading out of their habitats. A few species, however, intentionally or accidentally transported by man to various parts of the world have been able to adapt to new conditions. Eudrilus eugeniae has a worldwide distribution. Primarily imported to RSA for a specific experimental study, it is adapting well to habitats in this country.

Information that Eudriloides durbanensis , transported from Durban to Kew Botanic Gardens (apparently together with Ilyogenia africana ), is endemic to KZN, as reported by Beddard (1893) and Michaelsen (1913 b), has been queried for many years (Michaelsen 1912, 1914; Blakemore 2002, 2006 a). Collection of this species in Tanzania and KZN allowed Zicsi (1997 a) to redescribe this species and confirm its validity, although endemicity to RSA is not confirmed. Nemertodrilus kellneri , nearly 100 years after being first described, has not been collected in any other part of RSA, or other areas of Africa. Two other species of this genus, N. kruegeri and N. transvaalensis , are known only from their type localities in north-eastern RSA, distant to the kellneri type locality. It is not clear if these species are endemic to this country, or introduced from other parts of Africa.