General data	Thematic references	Distribution references
Eisenia fetida   (Savigny, 1826)

Taxonomy
Family: Lumbricidae     Genus: Eisenia
Synonyms: Enterion fetidum Savigny, 1826: 182. Lumbricus foetidus: Duges 1837 Allolobophora foetida: Eisen 1874; Benham 1899 Lumbricus annulatus Hutton, 1877: 352. Helodrilus (Eisenia) foetidus: Michaelsen 1910 ... more synonyms ► See also NCBI database

Short description
External characteristics Length: 50-120mm. Diameter: 2-4mm. 80-120 segments. Pigmentation: violet-red and striped with antero-posterior and dorso-ventral gradient. Clitellum dark red-orange. Body shape: cylindrical. Setae disposition: closely paired. Prostomium type: epilobous. Dorsal pores: small, the first in (3/4) 4/5. Mucus: coloured with a foul odor. Nephridial pores: alternate between setal lines ab and cd. Male pore: punctiforme in 1/2 15, in ab. Female pore: well developed, punctiforme in 1/2 14, in ab. Spermathecal pores: open in 9/10-10/11, in cd. Clitellum: saddle-shaped in (25) 26-32 (33). Tubercula pubertatis: distinct bands on (27) 28-30 (31).
Internal characteristics First septum in 4/5. Moniliforme hearts in 7-11. Nephridia tubular. Excretory system holonephridial, nephridial bladders tubular shaped. Calciferous glands in 10-13 (14) without diverticula with bulging in 12. Crop in 15-16. Gizzard in 17-18. Typhlosole beginning gradually around 21. Seminal vesicles in 9, 10, 11, 12 and smaller in 9, 10 than in 11, 12. Spermathecae simple, intra-coelomic, in 9 and 10. Small ovisacs present.
Possible confusion Species often confused with Eisenia andrei.

Distribution

Geographical origin: Europe. Distribution status: Peregrine General comment: From vermiculture in Mongolia (Blakemore, 2013d). Present in: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Azores, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Islands, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guyana, Hawaii, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madeira, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Helena Island, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, ► See also distribution references

Biology-Ecology

Ecological category: Epigeic, Epiendogeic, Corticolous Climatic zone: Boreal, Temperate, Mediterranean, Sub-tropical Habitat: Forests, Croplands, Urban areas Micro-habitat: Soil, Dead woods, Caves E. fetida is a species only found in temperate and boreal countries. In nature, this epigeic species lives near the soil surface, within the decomposing organic matter or in dead woods, and sometimes in caves (as reported by Turbanov et al. in 2016 in Georgia and Russia). Due to its high affinity with composting material, it has become the main species used in vermiculture. It is also a central species as model in toxicological studies and scientific research on earthworm molecular biology.

Pictures
Adult specimen Original description of Eisenia fetida (then named Enterion fetidum) by Jules-César Savigny in 1826 (in French).

General data

Thematic references

Distribution references