Amynthas

Amynthas
Amynthas aspergillum (Taiwan)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Clade:	Pleistoannelida
Clade:	Sedentaria
Class:	Clitellata
Order:	Opisthopora
Family:	Megascolecidae
Genus:	Amynthas Kinberg, 1867

Jumping behaviour.

Amynthas is a genus of earthworms in the family Megascolecidae. ^[1] They are known as jumping worms, snake worms, or crazy worms because of their erratic thrashing behaviour when disturbed. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} The genus is native to East Asia, but they are invasive in many areas of the United States. ^{[3] [5] [6]} They are a matter of concern in many states, as they disrupt the native forest ecology by affecting soil structure and chemistry. ^{[3] [7]}

Appearance

Amynthas species can be differentiated from other earthworms by their clitellum, which is pale, annular, is close to the head, and lies flat against the body. ^{[3] [8]} They vary in size between 3.8 and 20.3 cm (1.5 and 8.0 in). ^{[8] [9]}

Life cycle

Amynthas species' faster reproduction rate and their ability to reproduce asexually (parthenogenesis) has contributed to their spread into the United States. ^[10] The worms reach maturity in 60 days, which allows them to have two hatches per year. ^[10] Eggs are wrapped in small cocoons, which overwinter while the adults die off at the first freeze each year. ^[11] The young then emerge the next spring. ^[12]

Species

• Amynthas agrestis (Goto and Hatai, 1899)
• Amynthas alexandri(Beddard, 1900)
• Amynthas assimilis (Hong & Kim, 2002)
• Amynthas baikmudongensis (Hong, 2017)
• Amynthas borealis(Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
• Amynthas comptus(Gates, 1932)
• Amynthas defecta(Gates, 1930)
• Amynthas dorualis
• Amynthas exiguus(Gates, 1930)
• Amynthas fucosus(Gates, 1933)
• Amynthas gracilis(Kinberg, 1867)
• Amynthas hilgendorfi(Michaelsen, 1892)
• Amynthas hupbonensis(Stephenson, 1931)
• † Amynthas japonicus (Horst, 1883)
• Amynthas kinmenensis
• Amynthas longicauliculatus(Gates, 1931)
• Amynthas luridus(Shen, Chang, & Chih, 2019) ^[13]
• Amynthas mekongianus (Cognetti, 1922)
• Amynthas minimus
• Amynthas mirifius
• Amynthas moakensis
• Amynthas morrisi(Beddard, 1892)
• Amynthas mujuensis
• Amynthas obsoletus
• Amynthas papulosus(Rosa, 1896)
• Amynthas phatubensis(Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
• Amynthas polyglandularis
• Amynthas pulvinus
• Amynthas pyeongchangensis (Hong & James, 2009)
• Amynthas ruiyenensis(Shen, Chang, & Chih, 2019) ^[13]
• Amynthas sangumburi
• Amynthas siam(Blakemore, 2011)
• Amynthas srinan(Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
• Amynthas taiwumontis
• Amynthas tessellatus
• Amynthas tokioensis (Beddard, 1892) ^[13]
• Amynthas tontong(Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
• Amynthas wuhumontis
• Amynthas wujhouensis

References

1. Bantaowong, U.; Chanabun, R.; Tongkerd, P.; Sutcharit, C.; James, S.W. & Panha, S. (2011). "New earthworm species of the genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 from Thailand (Clitellata, Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)". ZooKeys (90): 35–62. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.90.1121 . PMC   3084491 . PMID   21594106.
2. "Asian Jumping Worms". hortnews.extension.iastate.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
3. "Jumping worm (Amynthas species) | Minnesota DNR". www.dnr.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
4. Silver, Jennie. ""Jumping Worm" – Amynthas spp". Extension Richland County. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
5. "details". www.tsusinvasives.org. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
6. "Amynthas Worms in Maine : Maine DACF". www.maine.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
7. "Jumping worms". extension.umn.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
8. Wisconsin DNR Forest Health. "Jumping Worms (Amynthas spp.) Fact Sheet". Updated April 2015. Accessed Dec 22 2022.
9. "Jumping Worms". www.michigan.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
10. "Jumping Worm (Amynthas spp.)". Cornell Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
11. "Invasive Asian Jumping Earthworms". Cornell Cooperative Extension. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
12. weeks (2021-07-28). "Jumping/Crazy/Snake Worms – Amynthas spp". Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
13. Shen, H.-P.; Chang, C.-H. & Chih, W.-J. (2019). "Two new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from central Taiwan, with comments on some recent species assignments in Amynthas and Metaphire". Zootaxa. 4658 (1): 101–123. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4658.1.4. PMID   31716758.