THE ENCHYTRAEID FAUNA OF NORTH-AFRICA

As part of a survey of the Mediterranean enchytraeids, large numbers o f samples were collected from a wide range of habitats at 38 localitie s of Tunisia and Algeria in 1989. Twenty species were identified belon ging to six genera. Five species are new records for Tunisia and 17 ar e new for Algeria. Most of the recorded species are widely distributed throughout Europe, or even cosmopolitan, but some have a more restric ted range. Fridericia caprensis has a circummediterranean distribution , Fridericia sardorum seems to be endemic to the western Mediterranean and Fridericia berninii is known only from the Balearic Islands and A lgeria. Enchytraeus minutus bisetosus n. ssp. is described. A critical revision of some species is also provided.