RT Journal Article
T1 Mediterranean conquerors: neotypification and phylogeography of the widely distributed earthworms "Aporrectodea trapezoides" and "Octodrilus complanatus" (Lumbricidae: Crassiclitellata)
A1 Fernández Marchán, Daniel
A1 Piris Martín, Alberto
A1 Tilikj, Natasha
A1 Martínez Navarro, Alejandro
A1 Mautuit, Ambre
A1 Hackenberger Kutuzovic, Davorka
A1 Novo Rodríguez, Marta
A1 Decaëns, Thibaud
A1 Csuzdi, Csaba
AB Cryptic lineages require identification and delimitation to guide their conservation and management. In the absence of type material that can be genotyped, designating a neotype becomes necessary: such is the case for Aporrectodea trapezoides and Octodrilus complanatus. These widely distributed earthworms are very common in Mediterranean habitats and harbour cryptic lineages. Specimens from the type locality (Jardin des Plantes, Montpellier) were genotyped to be included in species delimitation, phylogeographical, and phylogenetic analyses together with additional sequences from Mediterranean populations and close relatives. The Octodrilus complanatus neotype belonged to a clade inhabiting Spain, France, and Italy, with a putative origin in central Italy; two other species-level clades were restricted to northeastern Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. The Aporrectodea trapezoides neotype clustered with a peregrine, Iberian, and Maghrebian specimens, together forming Aporrectodea trapezoides s.s. More restricted and accurate descriptions based on the neotypes and closely related specimens pointed out to the Eurosiberian lineage of Aporrectodea trapezoides s.l. corresponding to Aporrectodea borelii and provided a basis for the potential description of Octodrilus complanatus s.l. lineages. On top of the taxonomic advances, this work detected differences in their phylogeographical patterns (potentially connected to historical human dispersal) and provided an opportunity for more accurate ecological niche modelling.
PB Oxford University Press
SN 0024-4082
YR 2025
FD 2025-03-04
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/120244
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/120244
LA eng
NO Marchán, D. F., Piris, A., Tilikj, N., Navarro, A. M., Mautuit, A., Hackenberger Kutuzovic, D., Decaëns, T., Novo, M., & Csuzdi, C. (2025). Mediterranean conquerors: Neotypification and phylogeography of the widely distributed earthworms Aporrectodea trapezoides and Octodrilus complanatus (Lumbricidae: Crassiclitellata). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 203(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/ZOOLINNEAN/ZLAF002
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 20 mar 2026