Orley, 1885
Type species Lumbricus trapezoides Dugès, 1828
Number of species about 15. Three species known from freshwater of NWE:
Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826)
Aporrectodea handlirschi (Rosa, 1897)
Aporrectodea limicola (Michaelsen, 1890)
Description
Pigmented or unpigmented earthworms with paired chaetae. Male pores in XV with glandular pads or without them. Differing from the other lumbricid genera only in the combination of interior anatomical characters only. Several commonest species were formerly known as members of another genus, Allolobophora.
Burrowing in soil and sediment.
Distribution
Palaearctic, with many introductions to other temperate regions.
Ecology
In soil, some species also in shallow freshwater.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons.
Literature
Orley, 1885: 22; Eisen, 1873: 46; Omodeo, 1956: 188-190; Bouché, 1972: 315; Plisko, 1973: 101, 128-129; Reynolds, 1977: 40; Perel', 1979: 206; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 495; Sims and Gerard, 1985: 53.