Barcoding Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. (Annelida, Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae), a Large Stripy Earthworm from Alpine Foothills of Northeastern Italy Similar to Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888)

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 28;11(3):e0151799. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151799. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

A new Italian earthworm morphologically close to the similarly large and anecic Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888) is described. Distribution of Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. extends over 750 km2 from East to West on the Asiago Plateau and Vittorio Veneto Hills, from North to South on mounts Belluno Prealps (Praderadego and Cesen), Asiago, Grappa and onto the Montello foothills. This range abuts that of Eophila tellinii in northern Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Known localities of both E. tellinii and E. crodabepis sp. nov. are mapped. mtDNA barcoding definitively separates the new western species from classical Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic / methods*
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / chemistry
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics*
  • Geography
  • Italy
  • Oligochaeta / anatomy & histology
  • Oligochaeta / classification
  • Oligochaeta / genetics*
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.