COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE REPRODUC TIVE POTENTIAL OF LOCAL-POPULATIONS OF THE COMPOST WORM EISENIA-FOETIDA (SAVIGNY, 1926) (OLIGOCHAETA, LUMBRICIDAE)
Op. Kodolova et al., COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE REPRODUC TIVE POTENTIAL OF LOCAL-POPULATIONS OF THE COMPOST WORM EISENIA-FOETIDA (SAVIGNY, 1926) (OLIGOCHAETA, LUMBRICIDAE), Izvestia Akademii nauk SSSR. Seria biologiceskaa, (4), 1993, pp. 558-568
The evaluation of reproductive parameters was carried out on worms Eis
enia foetida from 16 local populations collected in different geograph
ical regions of Russia and adjacent territories. Compost worms were sa
mpled from vermicultures and wild aggregations inhabiting different ki
nds of dung and municipal wastes. Rates of the cocoon production, numb
er of embryos per cocoon, embryonal survival, mass and size of cocoons
and longevity of embryonal development were used for the comparative
investigations. Essential differences in rates and rhythms of the coco
on formation and embryonal mortality were found in different populatio
ns. As a result the hatchling production per adult worms were found to
differ to 6-7 times. A few local populations with the reproduction ch
aracteristics comparable with those of the <<red californian worm>> in
vermicultures were revealed.