Introduction

Members of this family are often small and associated freshwater.

General References

Sims, R.W. & Gerard, B.M. 1999. Earthworms. Notes for the identification of British species. In, Synopsis of the British Fauna (New Series) No. 31. Shrewsbury : The Linnean Society of London and the Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association, Field Studies Council. [138]

History of changes

• Eukerria Michaelsen, W. 1935. Oligochaeta from Christmas Island, South of Java. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 10 15(85): 100-108 [102].

  Type species:

   Kerria halophila Beddard, 1892 (unsure about how type species was chosen. Type species list as K. halophila in Reynolds & Cook (1976)) by indication, see Reynolds, J.W. & Cook, D.G. 1976. Nomenclatura Oligochaetologica. A Catalogue of names, Descriptions and Type Specimens of the Oligochaeta. New Brunswick : University of New Brunswick 217 pp. [54].
• Kerria Beddard, 1892 [invalid name].

  Type species:

   Kerria halophila Beddard, 1892 (unsure about how type species was chosen. Type species list as K. halophila in Reynolds & Cook (1976)) by indication, see Reynolds, J.W. & Cook, D.G. 1976. Nomenclatura Oligochaetologica. A Catalogue of names, Descriptions and Type Specimens of the Oligochaeta. New Brunswick : University of New Brunswick 217 pp. [54].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Reynolds, J.W. & Cook, D.G. 1976. Nomenclatura Oligochaetologica. A Catalogue of names, Descriptions and Type Specimens of the Oligochaeta. New Brunswick : University of New Brunswick 217 pp. [52]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IMCRA

Christmas Island Province (23)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater

Systematics

It appears the name Kerria was first assigned to a plant species (i.e. a rose Kerria japonica in 1888 by Focke, thus making the name Kerria Beddard, 1892 unavailable for a genus of earthworm.

History of changes

• Kerria kükenthali Michaelsen, 1908 [authority date commonly cited as 1908; Reynolds & Cook (1976) cite reference as Zool. Jb. Syst. 1908, 11:24, but Zool. Jb. Syst. 1908 (and/or 1907) does not contain any references by Michaelsen].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNUB 4350.
• Eukerria selangorensis Stephenson, J. 1931. Report of an expedition to Brazil and Paraguay in 1926-1927, supported by the Trustees of the Percy Sladen Memorial fund and the executive committee of the Carnegie trust of Scotland. The Oligochaeta. Journal of the Linnean Society of London Zoology 37: 291-326.
• Eukerria peguana Gates, G.E. 1942. Notes on various peregrine earthworms. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 89: 63-144.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Christoffersen, M.L. 2008. A catalogue of the Ocnerodrilidae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) from South America. Italian Journal of Zoology 75(1): 97-107 [100]

Generic Combinations

• Eukerria kukenthali (Michaelsen, 1908) [emend. of kükenthali]. —
  Christoffersen, M.L. 2008. A catalogue of the Ocnerodrilidae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) from South America. Italian Journal of Zoology 75(1): 97-107

Distribution

Extra Distribution Information

Also found in: Brazil, Central America, West Indies and Asia

Introduced.

IMCRA

Christmas Island Province (23)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater

Distribution References

History of changes

• Kerria saltensis Beddard, F.E. 1895. Preliminary account of new species of earthworms belonging to the Hamburg Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1892. 210-239 [225].

  Type data:

   Holotype USNM 21025, Salto, Valparaiso, Chile.
  Paratype(s) BMNH 1904:10:5:928, Salto, Valparaiso, Chile.

  Type locality references:

  Chang, C.-H., Shen, H.-P. & Chen, J.-H. 2010. BiotaTaiwanica: Eukerria saltensis (Beddard, 1895). Version 2010. http://www.clitellates.biota.biodiv.tw/pages/823 [BiotaTaiwanica is a TaiBIF project funded by National Science Council]].
• Acanthodrilus sydneyensis Sweet, G. 1900. On the structure of the spermiducal glands and associated parts in Australian earthworms. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 28: 109-139.
• Kerria gunningi Michaelsen, W. 1913. Oligochäten vom tropischen und südlich-subtropischen Afrika. Bibliotheca Zoologica, Stuttgart 26: 139-170 [139].
• Kerria nichollsi Jackson, A. 1931. The Oligochaeta of South-Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 17: 71-136 [121].
• Eukerria saltensis var. bellavistensis Gavrilov, 1952.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Christoffersen, M.L. 2008. A catalogue of the Ocnerodrilidae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) from South America. Italian Journal of Zoology 75(1): 97-107 [100]

Generic Combinations

• Eukerria saltensis (Beddard, 1895). —
  Beddard, F.E. 1895. Preliminary account of new species of earthworms belonging to the Hamburg Museum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1892. 210-239 [225]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Record from Victoria is questioned by Blakemore (1999). Distribution in Tasmania is uncertain according to Blakemore et al. (2006). NSW (Murray-Darling basin). Also found in: Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Boliva, Canada, USA and Asia (including Japan)

Introduced.

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Lives on edge of rivers and in rice fields.

Notes

Considered a pest species in Australian rice paddies. Native to South America.

General References

Stevens, M. M. & Warren, G. N. 2000. Laboratory studies on the influence of the earthworm Eukerria saltensis (Beddard) (Oligochaeta: Ocnerodrilidae) on overlying water quality and rice plant establishment. International Journal of Pest Management 46(4): 303-310

History of changes

• Gordiodrilus Beddard, F.E. 1892. On a new genus of Oligochaeta, comprising five new species belonging to the family Ocnerodrilinae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 10 [75].

  Type species:

   Gordiodrilus elegans Beddard, 1892 by original designation.

Distribution

States

Queensland

History of changes

• Gordiodrilus elegans Beddard, F.E. 1892. On a new genus of Oligochaeta, comprising five new species belonging to the family Ocnerodrilinae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 10.

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1904:10:20:439.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Also found in: Canada, USA and Asia

Introduced.

Distribution References

History of changes

• Ocnerodrilus Eisen, G. 1878. On the anatomy of Ocnerodrilus. Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis (3) 10(4) [1].

  Type species:

   Ocnerodrilus occidentalis Eisen, 1878 by original designation.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria

History of changes

• Ocnerodrilus occidentalis Eisen, G. 1878. On the anatomy of Ocnerodrilus. Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis (3) 10(4) [10].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 1904:10:5:231.
  Paratype(s) BMNH 1904:10:5:232.
• Ocnerodrilus occidentalis var. sinensis Eisen, G. 1900. Researches on American Oligochaeta, with special reference to those of the Pacific Coast and adjacent islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 2(2): 85-276.
• Ocnerodrilus tenellulus Gates, G.E. 1945. On some Indian earthworms. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences B 21: 208-258 [223].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Blakemore, R.J. 2008. British and Irish earthworms - a checklist of species updated from Sims & Gerard (1999). http://www.annelida.net/earthworm/Britain&Ireland. pp. 14

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Also found in: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, USA, China, Ryukyu Islands and Japan

Introduced.

Distribution References

History of changes