Hi all,
In response to many enquiries about the scope and content of the CD-
ROM on TASMANIAN EARTHWORMS, the culmination of five years work
published in December, 2000. The monograph comprises a comprehensive
introduction to biology/morphology/reproduction, a revision of the
megadrile families of the World, and descriptions of all known Tasmanian
species. This 800 page monograph with 222 figures would be of value to
ecologists, taxonomists, teachers, and students involved in this field of
study, particularly those in Australasia but also workers from other regions
of the Globe. Of a current Australian total of approximately 600 earthworms,
Tasmania with about 1% of the landmass has nearly 40% of the described
species.
Summary of Contents
The monograph describes 228 species in 38 genera belonging to four
families of earthworms known from Tasmania. This biodiversity compares
with total of approximately 48 species from Britain and Ireland, 74 from
Japan, 160 from North America, 174 from Myanmar, 180 from France, 192
from New Zealand, 350 from the Indian subcontinent, and ca. 350 from
mainland Australia.
Determinations are made of the earliest reported species from Tasmania
viz. Megascolides orthostichon (Schmarda, 1861) - this the first earthworm
described from Australasia, of the 'giant' Vesiculodrilus tasmanianus
(Fletcher, 1887), the first Australian report of Lumbricus terrestris
Linnaeus, 1758, a new littoral species of Pontodrilus Perrier, 1874 with an
argument for Australian endemicity of this genus, as well as the first known
loss of a native species from the World fauna due to the extinction of
Hypolimnus pedderensis - the Lake Pedder Earthworm.
All 18 megadrile Oligochaeta families of the World are reviewed and
revised in order to place Tasmanian, and Australasian, genera in the
context of the extraneous fauna. The long anticipated 'missing-link' of
Octochaetidae in Australia is newly determined, eg. Octochaetus
ambrosensis (Blakemore, 1997). No endemic Acanthodrilidae nor
Octochaetidae occur in Tasmania as are found on both the North and
South Islands of New Zealand and in northern Australia.
Table of Contents:
1. Author's Preface
2. Introduction and Background
3. Biology and Ecology
4. Morphology and Reproduction
5. Taxonomic Characters
6. Collection and Inspection
7. Conventions and Abbreviations
8. Comparisons of Previous Classifications
9. Systematics Results including descriptions and keys to families, genera,
and species
10. References.
Enquiries in the first instance should be made to the author:
Rob Blakemore PhD, PO BOX 414 Kippax, Canberra ACT 2615 Australia.
Tel: + 61 2 6278 5610
Email: robblakemore at bigpond.com
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"-that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
-- ANNELIDA LIST
Discuss = <annelida at net.bio.net> = talk to all members
Server = <biosci-server at net.bio.net> = un/subscribes
Archives = http://www.bio.net/hypermail/annelida/
Resources = http://biodiversity.uno.edu/~worms/annelid.html
--
