Cocoon Biology of Sixteen Different Species of Indian Earthworms

Abstract

Information on cocoon biology of sixteen different tropical earthworm species like Pontoscolex corethrurus (Műller), Drawida assamensis Stephenson, Drawida papillifer papillifer Gates, Drawida nepalensis Michaelsen, Eutyphoeus comillahnus Michaelsen, Eutyphoeus gammiei Beddard, Metaphire houlleti (Perrier), Dichogaster affinis Michaelsen, Dichogaster bolaui (Michaelsen), Dichogaster modiglianii Rosa, Octochaetona beatrix Gates, Lennogaster chittagongensis (Stephenson), Metaphire posthuma (Vailant), Perionyx excavatus Perrier, Lampito mauritii Kinberg, and Polypheretima elongata (Perrier) are presented in this paper. Detailed cocoon morphology is made available here. Fecundity of peregrine species like P. excavatus, P. corethrurus, P. elongata, D affinis, D modiglianii, D. bolaui, O. beatrix have been found to be high and cocoon production is also continuous in them. Whereas fecundity is much lower in native species like E. gammiei, E. comillahnus. A positive relationship between size of adult and cocoon size has also been found. Room temperature during incubation had been found to affect incubation period. The more continuous and high rate of cocoon production and high hatching success in P. corethrurus, O. beatrix, D. affinis, D. bolaui, D. modiglianii approve their usage in vermiculture based technology. The geophagous species like P. corethrurus and O. beatrix can be used for improvement of quality of different land systems while phytogeophagous species can be made available for stabilization of organic wastes.