THE FIRST RECORDED EARTHWORMS FROM THE NEGEV AND SINAI DESERTS

Three species of earthworms were collected for the first time in the S inai and Negev deserts. They are: Allolobophora caliginosa (Sav. 1826) , Eiseniella tetraedra (Sav. 1826) (both found only in Sinai), and A. rosea (Sav. 1826) from both the Sinai and Negev deserts. All three spe cies belong to the family Lumbricidae and indicate a biogeographical c onnection with Middle and Eastern Mediterranean lumbricid fauna. They are widely distributed, abundant, and connected to human settlements a nd humid places. Only A. caliginosa and E. tetraedra were recorded fro m Egypt and the Sahara Desert.