Dendrodrilus rubidus

Last updated

Dendrodrilus rubidus
Dendrodrilus rubidus and Lumbricus rubellus (26470894672).jpg
Dendrodrilus rubidus and Lumbricus rubellus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Dendrodrilus
Species:
D. rubidus
Binomial name
Dendrodrilus rubidus
Savigny, 1826
Synonyms

Dendrodrilus rubidus is a species of earthworm in the family Lumbricidae. It is native to Europe, and it is a widespread introduced species, [1] occurring on every continent except Antarctica, as well as many islands. [2] It is often invasive. [1] It is sometimes used as fishing bait, and is marketed under many nonspecific names, including red wiggler, jumping red wiggler, red trout worm, jumbo red worm, and pink worm. [1] [3] Other common names include bank worm, tree worm, and gilt tail. [4]

Contents

Description

This earthworm is 2 to 10 centimeters long and dark red in color with a yellowish or orange tail end. [4]

Habitat

This is an epigeic species, one which occurs on the soil surface in leaf litter and in the top layers of the soil, up to 10 centimeters deep. [1] It prefers substrates rich in organic material, such as rotting wood and other plant matter, compost, peat, and manure. [5] It occurs in many habitat types. It is common in the coniferous forests of its native range, and in cultivated soils. [1] In North America it is often found in biological surveys of caves. [6] It inhabits the organic soils of the nest mounds of the red wood ant (Formica aquilonia) in the forests of Finland, and it may help to keep the nests free of fungi. [7] This earthworm is tolerant of soils with high levels of heavy metals and toxic semimetals. It has been observed in mine spoils contaminated with arsenic [8] and in nickel- and copper-contaminated soils near smelting operations. [9] It also tolerates acidic conditions, [1] [10] allowing it to thrive in the acidic litter of conifers. [10]

Biology

The species has a high rate of reproduction, and can complete its life cycle in 75 days. [5] There are morphs that reproduce sexually and by parthenogenesis, producing young without fertilization. [1]

While the worms themselves are sensitive to cold temperatures, the cocoons are very cold-hardy. They can stay viable over the winter in temperatures below −40 °C. In an experiment, 50% of a sample of cocoons kept at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (−196 °C) for 24 hours still had viable embryos. Their ability to survive such cold comes from their very low water content and the presence of cryoprotectant compounds such as sorbitol. [2] In cold climates the adults die off and the cocoons overwinter, a new generation emerging when temperatures rise. [1]

As an invasive species

This is one of many European earthworms that are now familiar worldwide as introduced and sometimes invasive species. For example, the Upper Midwest region of the United States has no native earthworms today, the last native taxa having been extirpated during the Ice Age. With European settlers came European earthworm species such as D. rubidus, which now make up the local earthworm fauna. [3] A similar pattern occurred on parts of the Russian Plain, which has a few native earthworms and many introduced species. [10] D. rubidus and other exotic epigeic earthworms are considered invasive because they alter the composition and stratification of the leaf litter on the forest floor as they consume it; this alters the ecosystems involved with the various soil horizons, a change which has a cascading effect through other ecosystems. [1]

One common way this species spreads is through the release of bait worms into the habitat. It is a "nightcrawler", an earthworm used as fishing bait, and one of several species sold in American bait shops as "red wigglers". [3] It can often be found in shipments of worms labelled as another species, such as Lumbricus terrestris or L. rubellus . [10] Bait worms are commonly lost and dumped in the habitat on fishing trips; [3] sites of invasive populations are often near lakes. [1] Exotic earthworms in general are also introduced when the cocoons are transported on vehicles and machinery, in ballast, and on the water itself. [1]

There are no good control methods for exotic earthworms that do not have the potential to affect other organisms, so prevention of introductions is more important. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

Vermicompost Product of the composting process using various species of worms

Vermicompost (vermi-compost) is the product of the decomposition process using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. This process is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose is called vermiculture.

<i>Lumbricus terrestris</i> Species of annelid worm

Lumbricus terrestris is a large, reddish worm species thought to be native to Western Europe, now widely distributed around the world. In some areas where it is an introduced species, some people consider it to be a significant pest for out-competing native worms.

<i>Lumbricus</i> Genus of annelid worms

Lumbricus contains some of the most commonly seen earthworms in Europe. The genus has nearly 700 valid species.

Lumbricidae Family of annelid worms

The Lumbricidae are a family of earthworms. About 33 lumbricid species have become naturalized around the world, but the bulk of the species are in the Holarctic region: from Canada and the United States and throughout Eurasia to Japan. An enigmatic species in Tasmania is Eophila eti. Currently, 670 valid species and subspecies in about 42 genera are recognized. This family includes the majority of earthworm species well-known to Europeans.

Oligochaeta Subclass of annelids including earthworms

Oligochaeta is a subclass of animals in the phylum Annelida, which is made up of many types of aquatic and terrestrial worms, including all of the various earthworms. Specifically, oligochaetes comprise the terrestrial megadrile earthworms, and freshwater or semiterrestrial microdrile forms, including the tubificids, pot worms and ice worms (Enchytraeidae), blackworms (Lumbriculidae) and several interstitial marine worms.

Megascolecidae Family of annelid worms

The Megascolecidae is a taxonomic family of earthworms which is can be found native in Madagascar, in Australia, New Zealand and both South East Asia and North America. All species of Megascolecidae belong to the Citellata class. Megascolecidae are a large family of earthworms and they can grow up to 2 meters in length. The intercontinental distribution of Megascolecidae helps in favouring the Continental Drift theory.

<i>Lumbricus rubellus</i> Species of annelid worm

Lumbricus rubellus is a species of earthworm that is related to Lumbricus terrestris. It is usually reddish brown or reddish violet, iridescent dorsally, and pale yellow ventrally. They are usually about 25 millimetres (0.98 in) to 105 millimetres (4.1 in) in length, with around 95–120 segments. Their native distribution was mainland Europe and the British Isles, but they have currently spread worldwide in suitable habitats.

<i>Eisenia fetida</i> Species of annelid worm

Eisenia fetida, known under various common names such as manure worm, redworm, brandling worm, panfish worm, trout worm, tiger worm, red wiggler worm, etc., is a species of earthworm adapted to decaying organic material. These worms thrive in rotting vegetation, compost, and manure. They are epigean, rarely found in soil. In this trait, they resemble Lumbricus rubellus.

Clitellata Class of annelid worms

The Clitellata are a class of annelid worms, characterized by having a clitellum - the 'collar' that forms a reproductive cocoon during part of their life cycles. The clitellates comprise around 8,000 species. Unlike the class of Polychaeta, they do not have parapodia and their heads are less developed.

Eisenia andrei is a close relative of the 'brandling' or 'tiger' worm Eisenia fetida. Like its sibling species, it is epigeic, i.e. it prefers to live in compost or leaf litter rather than mineral soils.

Fishing bait Substance or device used to attract fish

Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on the end of a fishing hook, or inside a fish trap. Traditionally, nightcrawlers, insects, worms and smaller bait fish have been used for this purpose. Fishermen have also begun using plastic bait and more recently, electronic lures to attract fish.

Earthworm Terrestrial invertebrate, order Opisthopora

An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan, are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation, and usually have setae on all segments. They occur worldwide where soil, water, and temperature allow. Earthworms are commonly found in soil, eating a wide variety of organic matter. This organic matter includes plant matter, living protozoa, rotifers, nematodes, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. An earthworm's digestive system runs the length of its body. It respires through its skin. It has a double transport system made of coelomic fluid that moves within the fluid-filled coelom and a simple, closed circulatory system. It has a central and peripheral nervous system. Its central nervous system consists of two ganglia above the mouth, one on either side, connected to a nerve running along its length to motor neurons and sensory cells in each segment. Large numbers of chemoreceptors concentrate near its mouth. Circumferential and longitudinal muscles edging each segment let the worm move. Similar sets of muscles line the gut, and their actions move digesting food toward the worm's anus.

Dendrobaena veneta Species of annelid

The European nightcrawler is a medium-small earthworm averaging about 1.5 g when fully grown. Generally blueish, pink-grey in color with a banded or striped appearance, the tips of their tails are often cream or pale yellow. When the species has not been feeding, it is pale pink. The species is usually found in deep woodland litter and garden soils that are rich in organic matter in European countries. E. hortensis is sold primarily as a bait worm, but its popularity as a composting worm is increasing.

Invasive earthworms of North America

Invasive species of earthworms from the suborder Lumbricina have been expanding their range in North America. Their introduction can have marked effects on the nutrient cycles in temperate forests. These earthworms increase the cycling and leaching of nutrients by breaking up decaying organic matter and spreading it into the soil. Since plants native to these northern forests are evolutionarily adapted to the presence of thick layers of decaying organic matter, the introduction of worms can lead to loss of biodiversity as young plants face less nutrient-rich conditions. Some species of trees and other plants may be incapable of surviving such changes in available nutrients. This change in the plant diversity in turn affects other organisms and often leads to increased invasions of other exotic species as well as overall forest decline. They do not require a mate to reproduce, allowing them to spread faster.

Earthworms are invasive species throughout the world. Of a total of about 6,000 species of earthworm, about 120 species are widely distributed around the globe. These are the peregrine or cosmopolitan earthworms. Some of these are invasive species in many regions.

<i>Aporrectodea</i> Genus of annelid worms

Aporrectodea is a genus of earthworms in the family Lumbricidae. The genus includes some of the most common earthworms in the Palearctic realm and in agricultural soils across the temperate regions of the world.

<i>Allolobophora chlorotica</i> Species of annelid worm

Allolobophora chlorotica, commonly known as the green worm, is a species of earthworm that feeds and lives in soil. This species stands out from other earthworms due to the presence of three pairs of sucker-like discs on the underside of the clitellum. An examination of A. chlorotica specimens from many parts of the British Isles suggests that there are two forms of this species, one with green pigment in the body wall, and one which lacks this pigment, making it pink.

<i>Bimastos</i> Worm Genus

Bimastos is a genus of lumbricid worm thought to be native to North America but has since been introduced to every continent apart from Antarctica. Recent molecular analysis has subsumed Dendrodrilus and Allolobophoridella under this genus. The clade holding Bimastos and Eisenoides seems to have diverged from Eurasian lumbricid Eisenia during the Late Cretaceous, approximately 69.2–76.1 years ago. This, along with the discovery of an earthworm cocoon attributed to B. rubidus from lake sediment dated over 7,000 years old in Ontario, Canada contradicts the widely held notion that Bimastos and its junior synonyms are invasive worms from Europe which have colonized North America. It's ancestors likely entered North America via the Bering Land bridge or the De Geer route and colonized elsewhere after European contact. This genus is one of the few remaining native earthworms in many North American environments, for example it appears to be the only extant earthworm native to the Alaskan interior.

<i>Octolasion lacteum</i> Species of worm

Octolasion lacteum is a species of earthworm of the genus Octolasion. In New Zealand it has been found in West Coast soils and in Canterbury. They are found in mostly moist areas deep under the soil as they feed in the nutrients within the soil. Unlike other worm species, these are known to survive in acidic soil as well as soil that is not as organic compared to other places. They provide some important roles in the ecosystem as well as threats to other species as well. After a drought, they help the soil get more organic by adding more carbon dioxide in the soil and the waste from the O. lacteum also provides nutrients for the soil. In another case, they can also be invasive in a way that they suck up carbon in the soil which means plants have less causing a disruption to the food web. Lastly, they reproduce by cross parthogenic reproduction.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dendrodrilus rubidus. Global Invasive Species Database. ISSG.
  2. 1 2 Berman, D. I., et al. (2010). Egg cocoons of the earthworm Dendrodrilus rubidus tenuis (Lumbricidae, Oligochaeta) withstand the temperature of liquid nitrogen. Doklady Biological Sciences 434(1), 347-50.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Keller, R. P., et al. (2007). From bait shops to the forest floor: earthworm use and disposal by anglers. The American Midland Naturalist 158(2), 321-28.
  4. 1 2 Dendrodrilus rubidus. A Guide to Common British Earthworms. Earthworm Research Group. University of Central Lancashire.
  5. 1 2 Dominguez, J. and C. A. Edwards. Biology and Ecology of Earthworm Species Used for Vermicomposting. Chapter 3 In: Edwards, C. A., et al. (Eds.) Vermiculture Technology: Earthworms, Organic Wastes, and Environmental Management. CRC Press. 2010.
  6. ↑ Reeves, W. K. (2001). Exotic species in North American caves. In: Rea, G. T. (Ed.) Proceedings of the 1999 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. October 19–22, 1999. pp. 164-66.
  7. ↑ Laakso, J. and H. Setälä. (1997). Nest mounds of red wood ants (Formica aquilonia): hot spots for litter-dwelling earthworms. Oecologia 111(4), 565-69.
  8. ↑ Langdon, C. J., et al. (2003). Arsenic speciation in the earthworms Lumbricus rubellus and Dendrodrilus rubidus. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 22(6), 1302-08.
  9. ↑ Plytycz, B., et al. (2010). Riboflavin mobilization from eleocyte stores in the earthworm Dendrodrilus rubidus inhabiting aerially-contaminated Ni smelter soil. Chemosphere 81(2), 199-205.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Tiunov, A. V., et al. (2006). Invasion patterns of Lumbricidae into the previously earthworm-free areas of northeastern Europe and the western Great Lakes region of North America. Archived 2013-11-09 at the Wayback Machine Biological Invasions 8(6), 1223-34.
  11. ↑ Schmidt, O. et al 2015. Multiple records confirm presence of Dendrobaena attemsi (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) in Ireland. Ir Nat J.34: 110 - 112
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.