Italian Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta). I

Abstract

Abstract During the period 1989–1994, soil samples were collected at 51 localities in six different regions of Italy. Twelve genera and 61 species could be distinguished. One genus (Oconnorella gen. n.) and 12 species (Mesenchytraeus straminicolus sp. n., Cernosvitoviella omodeoi sp. n., Achaeta etrusca sp. n., Fridericia globuligera sp. n., Fridericia monochaeta sp. n., Fridericia nix sp. n., Fridericia strenua sp. n., Fridericia tuberosa sp. n., Marionina brendae sp. n., Marionina eleonorae sp. n., Marionina rubens sp. n., Oconnorella chalupskyi sp. n.) are new to science. Two old taxa (Fridericia bretscheri Southern, 1907 and Fridericia viridula Issel, 1905) are revalidated and their descriptions augmented, and another two (Fridericia ilvana Issel, 1905 and Fridericia gamotheca Issel, 1905) are redescribed from new material. Nineteen known species are new records for Italy, while 30 previous Italian records are confirmed. Four new records for Algeria (Fridericia bretscheri, F. miraflores, F. tuberosa sp. n., F. viridula) and four new records for Ireland (Henlea montana, Fridericia isseli, Enchytraeus bulbosus, Marionina brendae sp. n.) are also provided. The highest number of species was found in the acid, moist soil of coniferous, beech or chestnut woods, even at low altitude. A rich Fridericia fauna dominates the neutral soils of the evergreen oak forests, whereas very few species are adapted to the shallow and dry soils of the maquis and garigues.