Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1856), Muller, 1856

Wang, Yu-Hsi & Shih, Hsi-Te, 2010, Earthworm fauna of Eastern Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae), Zootaxa 2341, pp. 52-68 : 64

Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1856)

Pontoscolex corethrurus— Gates 1972: 54; Tsai et al. 2000a: 68; Chen et al. 2002: 76; 2003: 56; Chuang et al. 2002: 66; Shen & Tsai 2002b: 3 –4; James et al. 2005: 1022; Blakemore et al. 2006: 230; Tsai et al. 2009: 37.

Material examined. 1 adult, NCHUZOOL 13525, Wujiang Village, Rueisuei, Hualien Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.- H. Wang et al., 1 Jan. 2005; 6 adults, NCHUZOOL 13524, Baiyu Waterfall, Jhihben, Taimali, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang & L.-Y. Fan, 22 Oct. 2004; 3 adults, NCHUZOOL 13535, 22°02’12.2”N, 121°33’31.5”E, Lanyu Meteorological Station, Lanyu, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang, 7 Jan. 2008; 4 immature specimens, NCHUZOOL 13537-13538, Yeyou R., Lanyu, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang, 8 Jan. 2008; 1 adult, NCHUZOOL 13539, 22°01’4.2”N, 121°33’47.7”E, Hongtou Huandao Highway, Lanyu, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang et al., 2 Apr. 2008; 1 adult, NCHUZOOL 13540, 22°01’40.7”N, 121°34’40.0”E, Yongsing Farm, Lanyu, Taitung Co., Taiwan, coll. Y.-H. Wang et al., 2 Apr. 2008.

Remarks. Tsai et al. (2000a) reported the first record of this species from Dongpu, Nantou Co. Then it was found in Ilan ( Chen et al. 2002; Chuang et al. 2002), and even on the offshore Gueishan I. ( Chen et al. 2003). James et al. (2005) collected abundant specimens from Pingtung Co., the offshore Siaoliuciou I., and Kaohsiung City. This species has a wide distribution in the world ( Blakemore 2002), and it has become a dominant species in western and northeastern (Ilan Co.) Taiwan ranging from lowland cultivated lands to elevations at 1000–2000 m ( Tsai et al. 2000a; Chen et al. 2002, 2003; Chuang et al. 2002; James et al. 2005). Our study extends its record to Hualien and Taitung Cos. in eastern Taiwan, showing that it has probably invaded the entire island of Taiwan. Its impacts upon the ecology ( Barros et al. 2001, 2004; Tapia-Coral et al. 2006; Chen et al. 2008) and agriculture ( Beare et al. 1997; Dlamini & Haynes 2004; Lafont et al. 2007) of Taiwan need to be studied in the future.