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Annotated checklist of the aquatic and terrestrial Annelida
(oligochaetes, leeches, branchiobdellidans, and aeolosomatidans) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee, USA
Introduction. Species preceded by a single asterisk (*) were reported by Whitley (1982) for the states of North and/or South Carolina; unfortunately, more specific distributional information (county, drainage, or locality data) was not provided for these species, in that publication, and specimens were not retained for future reference or verification.
Two-letter postal code(s) following a listing [e.g., NC, SC, TN] indicate(s) the state(s) from which they have been documented in the published literature. Postal codes preceded by a question mark (?) are records thought to be valid, but need verification from the literature. Accounts for terrestrial oligochaetes followed by GRSM-JWR(1972) and/or GRSM-SWJ(2000) are Park records documented in publications by John W. Reynolds (1972) and/or Samuel W. James (2000), respectively. Additional records of earthworms occurring in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee (and a few reported from sites in the Park) are noted in Reynolds (1971, 1972, 1974, 1977a,b, 1978, 1980, 1994, 2001), Reynolds and Reeves (2004), Reynolds et al. 1974), and Reeves and Reynolds (1999).
Species noted with a 'W' are considered to be widespread in distribution in North America, and thought likely to occur in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding states. Species noted with a superscript - I - are considered to be non-native, introduced species.
Generic and species names in bold followed by 'GRSM' are known to occur in the Park, with pertinent authority (citation), collector(s), and/or location underlined when available. Full citations for papers referenced on this page / other pages associated with this website, and for the author(s) and date(s) associated with each of the species accounts, below, can be found via the link "Literature Cited" in the navigator bar at the bottom of this page.
In March 2004, J.W. Reynolds and M.J. Wetzel published a paper entitled 'Terrestrial Oligochaeta (Annelida: Clitellata) in North America north of Mexico' in the journal, Megadrilogica [Vol. 9(11): 71-98]. In that paper, the status and distribution of terrestrial Oligochaeta in North America north of Mexico based upon records published in the literature were presented; 161 species representing 37 genera in 10 families were listed -- 116 species considered native, and 45 considered introduced. The paper also summarized the global biogeography of terrestrial oligochaetes, discussed native and introduced species, habitat requirements, and barriers to migration of the group, and presented recommendations for collection, preservation, curation, and identification of specimens, nomenclature, and a review of pertinent literature. The scientific binomial, authority(ies), recent synonymies, and published state and provincial distributions were provided for each species. Common names referenced in the literature were associated with the scientific nomenclature for 33 species. Aquatic and terrestrial research on the oligochaetes occurring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, associated with the ATBI program being underwritten by DLIA, was also summarized in that paper. Reynolds and Wetzel (2008) [in Megadrilogica Vol. 12(12): 157-208] presented an update of their 2004 paper, expanding the scope of geographical coverage to include Mexico, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Bermuda. This increased the number of earthworms known to occur in North America to 253 species representing 59 genera in the same 10 families; of these, 186 species are considered native to North America, while 67 are considered to be introduced. The next update of this paper is projected for publication in late 2011. This website and list is a working document. Many specimens that have been collected, processed, and mounted from samples taken in the Park since 1999 have been sexually immature, incomplete, or otherwise unidentifiable. As time permits, I wilI be working with colleagues who have a better taxonomic expertise with some of the species (e.g., Lumbriculidae and Enchytraeidae) than I do; hopefully, many of the identification issues with these specimens can be resolved and thus be added to the list, below. Information pertaining to the distribution of aquatic as well as terrestrial oligochaetes and other annelids occurring in or adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be added as it becomes available, and as time permits.
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PHYLUM ANNELIDA
- - - - - - - - CLASS POLYCHAETA - - - - - - - -
Order Aeolosomatida
FAMILY AEOLOSOMATIDAE Beddard, 1895
Genus Aeolosoma Ehrenberg, 1828 - GRSM
- - - - - - - - CLASS CLITELLATA - - - - - - - -
Order Branchiobdellida Holt, 1965
FAMILY BRANCHIOBDELLIDAE (Grube, 1851)
The phylogeny, nomenclature, authority, date, and state distributional records for branchiobdellidans occurring in North Carolina, Tennesssee, and South Carolina that are presented in this list conform with the information recently published by Gelder et al. (2002). Although we have obtained branchiobdellidans from crayfishes collected at several sites in the Park (1999-2005), they have yet to be identified. Sites in the Park from which these branchiobdellidans have been collected are noted elsewhere on this project website (see "Site Map, Locality Information" via the navigator bar at the bottom of this page). Several branchiobdellidans also have been collected from Rainbow Cave (Blount Co., TN, 23 October 1999) by W.K. Reeves; all specimens were hosted by one crayfish specimen, Cambarus bartonii
bartonii.
A minigrant from DLIA to support a preliminary inventory of branchiobdellidans occurring in the Park was awarded to Dr. Stuart Gelder and Bronwyn Williams in 2010. In their report to DLIA, summarizing their discoveries, they listed 10 species in five genera from 15 sites [annotated with 'G&W2010', below], along with the names of six host crayfishes from which branchiobdellidans were obtained. Their findings are summarized on the DLIA website,
HERE.
Subfamily Bdellodrilinae Holt, 1986
Genus Bdellodrilus Moore, 1895
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Subfamily Branchiobdellinae Goodnight, 1940
Genus Ankyrodrilus Holt, 1965
Genus Xironogiton Ellis, 1919
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Subfamily Cambarincolinae Goodnight, 1940 Holt, 1986
Genus Cambarincola
Ellis, 1912
Genus Ellisodrilus Holt, 1960
Genus Oedipodrilus Holt, 1967
Genus Pterodrilus Moore, 1895
Genus Sathodrilus Holt, 1968
Genus Tettodrilus Holt, 1968
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Subfamily Xironodrilinae Brinkhurst & Gelder, 2001
Genus Xironodrilus Ellis, 1919
OLIGOCHAETOUS CLITELLATA
FAMILY LUMBRICULIDAE
Numerous as-yet unidentified lumbriculid specimens have been collected from
Genus Eclipidrilus Eisen, 1881
Genus Kincaidiana Altman, 1936
Genus Lumbriculus Grube, 1844
Genus Martinidrilus Fend & Lenat, 2007
Genus Pararhynchelmis Fend & Lenat, 2010
Genus Rhynchelmis Hoffmeister, 1843
Rhynchelmis (Rhynchelmoides) bolinensis Fend & Lenat, 2010 - NC
Genus Pilaridrilus Fend & Lenat, 2007
Genus Stylodrilus Claparède, 1862
Genus Trichodrilus Claparède, 1862
Order Haplotaxida
FAMILY HAPLOTAXIDAE
Genus Haplotaxis Hoffmeister, 1843
Order Enchytraeida
FAMILY ENCHYTRAEIDAE
Genus Achaeta Vejdovsky, 1877
Genus Barbidrilus Loden & Locy, 1980
Genus Henlea Michaelsen, 1899
Order Tubificida
FAMILY OPISTOCYSTIDAE
Genus Crustipellis Harman & Loden, 1978
FAMILY NAIDIDAE
All taxa in the former family, Tubificidae, are now included within the family Naididae (see Erseus, Wetzel, and Gustavsson 2008).
Subfamily Naidinae
Genus Allonais Sperber, 1948
Note: The status of the genus Allonais in North America was recently re-evaluated by R.D. Kathman and M.J. Wetzel [Kathman and Wetzel 2003: Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 116(3): 548-556]; in that paper, previous identifications of North American specimens as A. paraguayensis (Michaelsen, 1905) [including our own] were determined to be incorrect. After observation of numerous Allonais specimens, it was determined that A. paraguayensis has not yet been collected in North America, and that, based upon examination of specimens in the genus Allonais that had been collected in North America, A. pectinata is currently known only from material collected in Louisiana. All other Allonais specimens examined during this study are in fact A. inaequalis,with distributional records now reported from Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Ohio.
Genus Amphichaeta Tauber, 1879
Genus Arcteonais Piguet, 1928
Genus Bratislavia Kosel, 1976
Genus Chaetogaster von Baer, 1827
Genus Dero Oken, 1915
*Dero flabelliger (Stephenson, 1931) - NC
Genus Haemonais Bretscher, 1900
Genus Nais Müller, 1773
Genus Ophidonais Gervais, 1838
Genus Paranais Czerniavsky, 1880
Genus Slavina Vejdovsky, 1883
Genus Specaria Sperber, 1939
Genus Stephensoniana Cernosvitov, 1938
Genus Stylaria Lamarck, 1816
Genus Uncinais Levinson, 1884
Genus Vejdovskyella Michaelsen, 1903
Subfamily Pristininae
Genus Pristina Ehrenberg, 1828
*Pristina aequiseta
Michaelsen, 1900 - GRSM
Please Note: the genus name Pristinella,
established by Brinkhurst (1985),
Subfamily Tubificinae
Genus Aulodrilus Bretscher, 1899
Genus Haber
Holmquist, 1978; emended Brinkhurst, 1981
Genus Ilyodrilus Eisen, 1879
Genus Isochaetides Hrabe, 1966; emmend. Brinkhurst, 1981
Genus Limnodrilus Claparede, 1862
Genus Potamothrix Vejdovsky & Mrázek, 1902
Genus Quistadrilus Brinkhurst, 1981
Genus Spirosperma Eisen, 1879
Genus Varichaetadrilus Brinkhurst & Kathman, 1983
Subfamily Rhyacodrilinae
Genus Bothrioneurum Stolc, 1888
Genus Branchiura Beddard, 1892
Genus Rhizodrilus Smith, 1900
Genus Rhyacodrilus Bretscher, 1901
Order
Opisthopora
FAMILY GLOSSOSCOLECIDAE
Genus Pontoscolex Gates, 1974
FAMILY KOMAREKIONIDAE
Genus Komarekiona Gates, 1974
FAMILY LUMBRICIDAE
Genus Allolobophora Eisen, 1873
Genus Allolobophoridella Mrsic, 1990
Genus Aporrectodea Örley, 1885
Genus Bimastos H. Moore, 1893
Genus Dendrobaena Eisen, 1873
Genus Dendrodrilus Omodeo, 1956
Genus Eisenia Malm, 1877
Genus Eiseniella Michaelsen, 1900
Genus Eisenoides Gates, 1969
Genus Lumbricus Linnaeus, 1758
Genus Murchieona Gates, 1978
Genus Octolasion Örley, 1885
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Superfamily Megascolecoidea FAMILY ACANTHODRILIDAE
Genus Diplocardia Garman, 1888
Diplocardia michaelseni Eisen, 1899 - NC, SC, TN
Genus Microscolex Rosa, 1887 FAMILY MEGASCOLECIDAE
Genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867
Genus Metaphire Sims and Easton, 1972
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Superfamily Ocnerodriloidea FAMILY OCNERODRILIDAE
Genus Eukerria Michaelsen, 1835
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Superfamily Sparganophiloidea FAMILY SPARGANOPHILIDAE
Genus Sparganophilus Benham, 1892
SUBCLASS
HIRUDINIDA [Note: Distributional records for leeches in North Carolina and/or Tennessee (below) were taken from Klemm (1985, 1995). As mentioned above, Don Klemm and Bill Moser were the primary systematists who focused on the leech fauna of the Park during surveys they conducted in September 2000, April 2002, and again in 2003). At the annual DLIA / ATBI conference in Gatlinburg TN (5-7 December 2002), Bill reported that eight species of leeches are now known to occur in the Park.] Don Klemm and Bill Moser currently are preparing a guide to the Hirudinea of the southeastern United States that will include a discussion of the leeches occurring in the Park. Additional information is available on a website established and maintained by Klemm, Moser, and Wetzel, entitled, Classification and Checklist of the Leeches (Phylum Annelida: Class Clitellata: Subclass Hirudinida) occurring in North America north of Mexico. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAMILY GLOSSIPHONIIDAE
Genus Actinobdella Moore, 1901
Genus Alboglossiphonia Luken, 1976
Genus Desserobdella Barta & Sawyer, 1990
Desserobdella picta (Verrill, 1872) 1901 - NC
Genus Helobdella R. Blanchard, 1896
Genus Oligobdella Moore, 1900
Genus Placobdella R. Blanchard, 1893 FAMILY PISCICOLIDAE
Genus Myzobdella Leidy, 1851
Genus Piscicola de Blainville, 1818
Genus Piscicolaria Whitman, 1889
Order Arhynchobdellida FAMILY HAEMOPIDAE
Genus Haemopis Savigny, 1822 FAMILY HIRUDINIDAE
Genus Macrobdella Verrill, 1872
Genus Philobdella Verrill, 1874 FAMILY ERPOBDELLIDAE
Genus Erpobdella de Blainville, 1818
Genus Mooreobdella Pawlowski, 1955
Thank you for your interest! If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas regarding this website, please send them to me via E-Mail: mjwetzel{AT}illinois.edu [note that the '@' symbol has been replaced with '{AT}' to deter the 'sweeping' of active webpages by tractor programs initiated by spammers, phishers, malwarers, adwarers, and other ilk; you must switch these again in order for your E-mail message to be sent and received]. I encourage you to use the site navigation bar, below, to familiarize yourself with the various aspects of this project, the research and educational opportunities associated with Discover LIfe in America and the All Taxa Biodiversity program, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. page update: 9 August 2011. |