New and additional records of earthworms (Annelida: Clitellata) from Central Serbia: First finding of Bimastos parvus (Eisen, 1874) in Serbia

Abstract

This paper includes the summarized knowledge (of more than 40 years) on earthworms in Central Serbia, in the middle part of the Balkan Peninsula. The aim of this paper is to present new data on the earthworms for the study area. Also by analysing the newly reported species together with literature records, we establish the definitive list of known earthworm taxa. The list underlines earthworm diversity and provides a general overview of their distributions, zoogeographical positions, levels of dominance and ecological categories. During the current investigations in the different parts of Central Serbia, 36 earthworm species and subspecies belonging to 10 genera were recorded. Among them, 4 taxa represented the first findings in Central Serbia: Bimastos parvus (Eisen, 1874) Bimastos eiseni (Levinsen, 1884) Aporrectodea cemernicensis Mrsic, 1991 and Lumbricus castaneus (Savigny, 1826). Consequently, the number of the earthworm species recorded for Central Serbia is raised to 46. Surprisingly, the peregrine B. parvus proved to be new species in the fauna of Serbia, including the study area, so now the total number of species for the whole Serbia has risen to 75. With respect to the zoogeographic situation, the majority of them belong to peregrine (36.96%), endemic (19.57%), and trans-Aegean species (13.04%). Summing up the endemics and Balcanic-Alpine species, 30.44% of the total lumbricid fauna in Central Serbia shows an autochthonous character.