Diversity and zoogeographic affinities of earthworms (Clitellata: Lumbricidae) in Kosovo and Metohia

Abstract

We have summarised the current knowledge on earthworm diversity in Kosovo and Metohia. The complete list of earthworm taxa includes 40 species and subspecies belonging to 11 genera of the family Lumbricidae. Among them, Aporrectodea handlirschi (Rosa, 1897), Cernosvitovia paratuleskovi (Šapkarev, 1975), Cernosvitovia strumicae (Šapkarev, 1973), Cernosvitovia treskavicensis (Mršić, 1991), Dendrobaena vejdovskyi (Černosvitov, 1935) and Lumbricus meliboeus (Rosa, 1884) were registered for the first time in the study area. With respect to the zoogeographical characteristics, most of the earthworm species belong to peregrine (14 species, 35%) and endemic groups (11 species, 27.5%). The group of the endemic species belongs to the genera Dendrobaena and Cernosvitovia.