Two New Earthworm Species Discovered by CUO Researchers in Odisha's Koraput

Researchers from the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput, unearthed two previously unknown species of Megascolex earthworms from the Eastern Ghats of Odisha. The earthworm varieties were subsequently identified as two new species Megascolexjeyporeghatiensis and Megascolexquadripappilatus.

Bhubaneswar:In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput, in collaboration with scientists from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, unearthed two previously unknown species of Megascolex earthworms from the Eastern Ghats of Odisha.

During an earthworm diversity study conducted in different parts of Koraput, Ayusmita Naik collected some large earthworm specimens from Rani Duduma and the Jeypore Ghati area of Koraput. Under the supervision of Prof Sharat Kumar Palita, Dean of the School of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources of the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput, the specimens were carefully examined in the laboratory by the researchers.

Later with the support of Dr R Paliwal, retired scientist of the Zoological Survey of India, and earthworm specialists Dr Prasantha Narayanan and Dr AP Thomas of Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, these two large earthworm varieties were identified as two new species, which are completely new to science. They were identified as Megascolexjeyporeghatiensis and Megascolexquadripappilatus. The report of these two new species from Koraput has been published in the reputed international taxonomic journal Zootaxa.

These two new earthworm species belong to Genus Megascolex discovered from relatively under-explored Eastern Ghats hills of Odisha state in Peninsular India. They belong to a group of species characterised by two pairs of spermathecal pores in intersegmental furrows 7/8/9, holandric, seminal vesicles in segments 9 and 12, absence of penial setae and calciferous glands. These two new species occur in deciduous forests with brownish gravel-loamy soils.

With this discovery, the total number of Megascolex in the world has increased to 70, of which 34 are found in India. In India, mostly all Megascolex species are restricted to the southern portion of the Western Ghats mountain ranges in the southwest corner of Peninsular India. With the discovery of these new species, the range of Megascolex groups of earthworms has been further extended into northern Peninsular India into northern Eastern Ghats.

These two new species are anecic worms, found to consume fibrous plant material like barks, woody parts and leafy material, including pebbles and rocky soil. As they live in forest soil with high organic biomass, they indicate soil health and maintain soil productivity. Earthworms can biomonitor soil pollutants perform carbon sequestration and reduce soil pollutants.

The record of these two new species from Koraput in the Eastern Ghats has further highlighted the rich unexplored biodiversity of Koraput as well as the Eastern Ghats region of India.

Prof SK Palita, Dean of the School at CUO, is optimistic about the discoveries of many new species from this part and further stresses the need for more funding by government bodies for biodiversity research for this rich, but unexplored region of Eastern Ghats of Odisha and more conservation attention. Prof Chakradhar Tripathy, Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Odisha, has hailed this as a great achievement for the scientific community of CUO and stressed the need for this type of basic research, which can put CUO on the world map. He congratulated the team of researchers involved in this discovery.