RT Journal Article
T1 Not the brightest earthworm in the genus: two non-bioluminescent Avelona (Lumbricidae, Crassiclitellata) with description of a new species
A1 Gérard, Sylvain
A1 Martínez Navarro, Alejandro
A1 Decaëns, Thibaud
A1 Hedde, Mickaël
A1 Fernández Marchán, Daniel
AB Several new earthworm species have been described in France in the last decade, but the Western peri-Alpine region, despite hosting several endemic species, has received little attention. A recently discovered earthworm species from this region was found to be a close relative to Avelona ligra and Allolobophora s.l. zicsii after molecular phylogenetics (based on the molecular markers COI, 16S, ND1, 28S and 12S) and described as Avelona yvesi sp. nov. Morphological study of Av. yvesi sp. nov., Avelona zicsii comb. nov. and Av. ligra allowed to provide an improved diagnosis of the genus, highlighting a wide variability in spermathecae and nephridial morphology. These species reinforce the evolutionary significance of their range as a putative refuge of a pre-glacial diversity, show contrasting distribution patterns which could be attributed to historical or ecological causes, and provide new chances to study bioluminescence in Av. ligra with their closest, non-bioluminescent relatives.
PB Magnolia Press
SN 1175-5326
YR 2025
FD 2025-02
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/119724
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/119724
LA eng
NO Gérard, S., Navarro, A.M., Decaëns, T., Hedde, M. & Marchán, D.F. (2025) Not the brightest earthworm in the genus: two non-bioluminescent Avelona (Lumbricidae, Crassiclitellata) with description of a new species. Zootaxa, 5589 (1), 270–281. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.23
NO Funding:Sylvain Gérard PhD grant was funded by the Ecole Normale Paris-Saclay, and the functioning of the PhD was granted by the INRAE department Agroecosystem with the GloWorms project. Daniel Fernández Marchán was funded by a Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) from the French government during the first stages of development of this research, and later by a María Zambrano Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Spanish Government. This research was funded by Grant PID2021-122243NB-I00, from 689 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER.
NO European Commission
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
NO Ministerio de Universidades (España)
NO INRAE department Agroecosystem
NO Ecole Normale Paris-Saclay
DS Docta Complutense
RD 25 dic 2025