Colorado Earthworms
This is a total work in progress and just a summary of available literature. There are few systematic surveys of Colorado earthworms, but the most comprehensive as found 17 species with just three native to the state. Of the 14 introduced species, all were of European origin. Within iNat the vast majority of observations are of Lumbricus terrestris however in surveys this was far from the most common species collected 24 collections versus 77 collections of Aporrectodea tuberculata amazingly not even a single observation of this in iNat.
Genus Allolobophora
- Green Worm Allolobophora chlorotica https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/347612
Genus Aporrectodea
-
Aporrectodea bowcrowensis (not in iNat) Native!
- Records in Chaffee and Pitkin
- Pink
- Widely distributed
- Dark almost black
- 25-85 mm
- Uncommon but widespread
- 90-150 mm
Aporrectodea tuberculata https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/501689 (no iNat observations)
- Widespread common
- 90-150 mm
Aporrectodea turgida (not in iNat)
- Widespread uncommon
Genus Bimastos
-
Bimastos parvus https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/907107 Native!
Bimastos welchi (not in iNat) Native!
- Larimer County
- Pale color throughout
- 135 mm
Genus Dendrobaena
-
Dendrobaena octaedra https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199394-
Genus Dendrodrilus
- Dendrodrilus rubidus https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199386-
Genus Eisenia
-
Eisenia foetida https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/127409
Genus Eiseniella
-
Eiseniella tetraedra https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/347614
Genus Lumbricus
- Lumbricus rubellus https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/199376
- Lumbricus terrestris https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/81545
Genus Octolasion
-
Octolasion cyaneum https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/358274
Octolasion tyrtaeum https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/865941 (no iNat observations)
FAMILY
Genus Sparganophilus
-
Sparganophilus eiseni (not in iNat)
Citations:
Reynolds, J. W. (2011). MORE EARTHWORMS (OLIGOCHAETA: LUMBRICIDAE ANDSPARGANOPHILIDAE) FROM COLORADO, USA. MEGADRILOGICA, 14(8).
Csuzdi, C., Chang, C., Pavlícek, T., Szederjesi, T., Esopi, D., & Szlávecz, K. (2017). Molecular phylogeny and systematics of native North AMERICAN LUMBRICID EARTHWORMS (Clitellata: Megadrili). PLOS ONE, 12(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181504