New earthworm species Drawida vazhania discovered in Kerala’s Western Ghats

Key facts

• Researchers identified the new earthworm species Drawida vazhania from the Vazhani dam area of the Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary in Thrissur district, Kerala.
• Drawida vazhania belongs to the genus Drawida and the family Moniligastridae, and the discovery has been published in the journal Zootaxa.
• The species is a member of the Barwelli species group, raising the group’s total to seven species.
• India hosts about 71% endemic genera and 89% endemic species of earthworms, with the Western Ghats and west coast plains accounting for 58.4% of all known Indian earthworm species.
• With Drawida vazhania, India now has 83 reported Drawida species, of which 55 occur in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
• Kerala holds the highest number of Drawida species among Western Ghats states, recording 31 species including 16 endemic to the state.