A two-member research team, including a scientist from Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), has discovered a new species of Moniligastrid earthworm from the Western Ghats.
The newly identified species, named Drawida karatala, was discovered by S. Prashanth Narayan, scientist at the Advanced Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (ACESSD), MGU, and J. M. Julikee, faculty member in the Department of Basic Science at Shooflin University, Himachal Pradesh.
The species, belonging to the Robusta species group, was found in the forest region of Ranipuram, Kasargod. Within this group, two subgroups have been identified — one with a distinctly bilobed atrium (Robusta subgroup) and the other with a slightly bilobed atrium (Cochinensis subgroup).
According to Prashanth, the new species can be easily distinguished from other members of the group by the unique structure of its spermathecal atrium, which resembles a human palm, and its prostatic capsule, which is anvil-shaped with nodulations.
The study provides a detailed morphological description of the species, accompanied by photographs and illustrations of its defining features. With this discovery, the total number of Drawida species known from India rises to 81.
“In the Western Ghats, the genus exhibits remarkable diversity, especially in Kerala. Of the 28 species recorded from the state, 13 are endemic. With the discovery of this new species, the number of Drawida species reported from the Western Ghats and Kerala increases to 53 and 29, respectively,” said Prashanth.
The international peer-reviewed journal BioDiversity has recognised S. Prashanth Narayan among the world’s 18 active taxonomists with expertise across various families, identifying him as a global reference expert for earthworm taxonomy.
Established in 2010, ACESSD functions as an inter-university centre at MGU dedicated to research and education in environmental studies and sustainable development.
