Discovery in Bavaria: Unique earthworm inspires scientists!

Discovery in Bavaria: Unique earthworm inspires scientists!

Scientists at the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture (LfL) have named a new earthworm speciesHelodrilus bavaricusdiscovered. This species is unique and only occurs in Bavaria. The site is near Rotthalmünster in the Passau district, on a field that has been cultivated with no-till farming for five years. The farmer who cultivates the land actively contributes to a nationwide project to promote insects in agricultural landscapes.

The new species was discovered during a survey in April 2022, in which around 600 earthworms per square meter were counted - four times higher than the Bavarian average. When analyzing the captured earthworms, researchers discovered that the animals found did not match known species, which led to the involvement of international earthworm experts. ZVW reported, that the new species is pale pink and only a few centimeters tall, and that it is considered an Ice Age relic that survived in a smaller ice-free area in southern Bavaria.

Research and significance of the discovery

The scientific work on the systematic classification ofHelodrilus bavaricuswas described in the journal “Opuscula Zoologica”. A total of around 50 earthworm species are known in Germany, eight of which have already been identified in Rotthalmünster. Researchers are now planning further studies to clarify the distribution area of ​​this new species. The importance of earthworms cannot be underestimated as they contribute to soil fertility by decomposing crop residues and organic material and aerating the soil, as well as the Swabian reported.

– Submitted by West-East media