Cocoon Biology of Earthworms of Waste Deposit Sites of Tripura (India) (original) (raw)

Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology, 2020

Abstract

Earthworm species viz. Perionyx excavatus, Dichogaster bolaui, Lampito mauritii, Metaphire posthuma found in the waste deposit sites of West Tripura were reared in field soils mixed with cow dung in order to examine their growth and reproductive potential under laboratory conditions. The epigeic earthworms, P. excavatus and D. bolaui were continuous breeder with high fecundity (187 and 92 cocoons worm-1 year-1) and low incubation period (13 and 14.2 days). Anecic earthworm, L. mauritii and endogeic M. posthuma were semi-continous and discrete breeder respectively. Highest and lowest hatching success of cocoons were recorded in D. bolaui (82%) and M. posthuma (25%) respectively. Interestingly in the earthworm species, P. excavatus (1.15 hatchling-1 cocoon-1), D. bolaui (1.7 hatchling-1 cocoon-1), L. mauritii (1.8 hatchling-1 cocoon-1) more than one hatchlings emerged out from a single cocoon, whereas, M. posthuma produced only one hatchling per cocoon. Cocoon production of earthworms...

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