Two New Earthworm Species Discovered in Silent Valley National Park, Kerala
In March 2026, researchers discovered two new species of moniligastrid earthworms named ‘Moniligaster girishi’ and ‘Drawida reynoldsi’ in Silent Valley National Park, located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) of the Western Ghats, Kerala. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Zootaxa.
In March 2026, researchers discovered two new species of moniligastrid earthworms named ‘Moniligaster girishi’ and ‘Drawida reynoldsi’ in Silent Valley National Park, located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) of the Western Ghats, Kerala. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Zootaxa.
- With these discoveries, the total number of recognised moniligastrid earthworm species in India has increased to 95, of which 70 species are found in the Western Ghats.
About Two New Earthworm Species:
Moniligaster girishi: Collected from the tropical wet evergreen forest near Chembotti. It belongs to the gravelyi species-group and is distinguished by a unique single undivided spermathecal atrial gland and a specific prostatic capsule.
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- It is named in honor of P. Girish Kumar, a scientist at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Drawida reynoldsi: Collected from the montane grasslands between Sispara and Anginda. It belongs to the robusta species-group and is characterized by a sausage-like prostatic capsule and a large, erect spermathecal atrium.
- It is named in honour of John Warren Reynolds, a renowned Canadian earthworm specialist.
Significance: Kerala has the highest diversity of these earthworms, with 43 species (30 Drawida and 13 Moniligaster).
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