Discovery in Bavaria: Unique earthworm inspires scientists!

Discovery in Bavaria: Unique earthworm inspires scientists!

Rotthalmünster, Deutschland - Scientists of the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture (LFL) have discovered a new earthworm art with the name Helodrilus Bavaricus . This species is unique and occurs exclusively in Bavaria. The site is located near Rotthalmünster in the Passau district, on a field that has been managed with direct sowing for five years. The farmer who manages the country actively contributes to a nationwide project to promote insects in agricultural landscapes.

The discovery of the new species was carried out in an examination in April 2022, in which around 600 earthworms per square meter were counted - this is four times higher than the Bavarian average. When analyzing the caught earthworms, the researchers found that the animals found did not match well-known species, which led to the involvement of international earthworm experts. ZVW reported that the new kind is only a pale pink, and that it is considered an ice age, survived a smaller ice -free area in southern Bavaria.

The scientific work on the systematic classification of helodrilus bavaricus was described in the specialist journal "Opuscula Zoologica". In Germany, a total of around 50 rainwurten are known, eight of which have already been identified in Rotthalmünster. Researchers are now planning further investigations to clarify the distribution area of this new kind. The importance of earthworms should not be underestimated because they contribute to soil fertility by breaking down harder and organic material and ventilating the soil, as well as the Schwäbische reported .

-transmitted by West-Ost-Medien