Epigeic Earthworms

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Epigeic is Greek for ‘upon the earth’ Epegeic earthworms are surface dwelling and scientifically classed along with all the other earthworms or oligochaeta of the annelida phylum.

Description

Epegeic Earthworms are small bodied ranging from 1-7 cm with some are bright red but most have reddish brown skin pigmentation. The pigment is darker on the back and lighter on the tail and the belly, which may provide extra protection from ultra violet rays that they are sensitive to.

Range and Habitat

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Species

Dendrobaena octaedra []

Eiseniella tetraedra[]

Eudrilus eugeniae []

Lumbricus castaneus[]

References

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Epigeic earthworms Lumbricus castaneus, an epigeic earthworm Epigeic earthworms live on the surface of the soil in leaf litter. These species tend not to make burrows but live in and feed on the leaf litter. Epigeic earthworms are also often bright red or reddish-brown.

Epigeic earthworm speices include Dendrobaena octaedra, Dendrobaena attemsi, Dendrodrilus rubidus, Eiseniella tetraedra, Heliodrilus oculatus, Lumbricus rubellus, Lumbricus castaneus, Lumbricus festivus, Lumbricus friendi, Satchellius mammalis ( Earthworm society Britain)

Epegeic Earthworms are small bodied ranging from 1-7 cm with reddish brown skin pigmentation. The pigment is darker on the back and lighter on the tail and the belly, which may provide extra protection from ultra violet rays they are very sensitive to. Great lakes; Dendrobaena octaedra, Dendrobaena octaedra, Eiseniella tetraedra, Eiseniella eisneni. can change fungi and macroinvertabrate pops do not decrease forest floor. (great lakes book)

Dendrobaena octaedra is an epigeic species. It inhabits the litter layer, feeding primarily on microorganisms associated with decaying surface litter (Hale et al., 2008). Epigeic species facilitate the breakdown and mineralisation of surface litter (Hendrix & Bohlen, 2002).

Dendrobaena octaedra and Dendrodrilus rubidus are epigeic species, which inhabit and feed at the soil surface. Epigeics physically disrupt the organic layer of the soil by consuming and mixing the F and H layers, producing a homogenous and granular form of organic forest floor (Addison, 2009)

Exotic earthworms are a particular problem in previously earthworm-free temperate and boreal forests of North America dominated by Acer, Quercus, Betula, Pinus and Populus (Frelich et al., 2006).(GISD)

The endoeic species can turn epigeic during suitable weather conditions but during dry weather turn to soil and now called (epi-endogeic)

Other epegeic go to soil to aestivate or hibernate.

Based on the feeding behavior of earthworms, epigeic species have a greater potential as waste decomposers, than anecics, and endogeics, which is due to their humus consuming and surface dwelling nature. Although the epigeic earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae is frequently used in vermicomposting of solid wastes other epegeic genera – Eisenia foetida and Perionyx excavatus are able to speed up the decomposition process of organic matter with especially under tropical conditions. (Taxonomic and functional diversity of the culturable microbiomes of epigeic earthworms and their prospects in agriculture Arjun Singh)

Epigeic earthworms (i.e. those that feed and live in the litter layer) increase decomposition rates and strongly affect populations of other litter inhabiting organisms (Domínguez et al., 2003, McLean and Parkinson, 2000a, McLean and Parkinson, 2000b). Nevertheless, little is known about whether and to what extent these changes are due to direct effects of earthworms on the decaying material (i.e. transformations of the ingested material during passage through the gut) or to indirect effects related to their casting and burrowing activities (Brown et al., 2000, Domínguez, 2004).

Epigeic earthworms are detritivorous organisms that live and feed in the soil litter layer. These earthworms exert important effects on the presence of decomposer micro-organisms and their microbial grazers, which lead to changes in the rate of decomposition of the organic matter(Changes in density of nematodes, protozoa and total coliforms after transit through the gut of four epigeic earthworms (Oligochaeta) Author links open overlay panelFernandoMonroy)