This study compared the uptake and depuration of four commonly used pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diclofenac, fluoxetine and orlistat) in two earthworm species (Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia fetida). L. terrestris are a larger species and often found in deep burrows whereas E. fetida prefer to reside near the soil surface. Species burrowing habits and sizes may alter uptake by earthworms. ...

The widely studied and invasive earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris L., 1758 has been the subject of nomenclatural debate for many years. However these disputes were not based on suspicions of heterogeneity, but rather on the descriptions and nomenclatural acts associated with the species name. Large numbers of DNA barcode sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I obtained for nominal L. terrestris and...

metals concentrations in lumbricus terrestris and soil samples from the dumpsites located in zaria metropolis, nigeria were measured spectrophotometrically. mean metal content in dumpsite soils were: 25.95 - 75.17, 8.33 - 382.94, 124.84 - 206.96, 34.24 - 666.67 and 111.11 - 488.10mg/kg for cd, cu, mn, pb and zn respectively. while the concentration ranges recorded in l. terrestris samples were;...

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggested that the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris might act as a seedling predator by ingesting emerging seedlings, and individuals were observed damaging fresh leaves of various plant species in the field. To evaluate the significance of herbivore behavior of L. terrestris for plant and earthworm performance we exposed 23- to 33-days-old seedlings of six plant species...

We investigated whether exposure to UV-B results in biochemical changes in leaf litter, affecting growth rates of earthworms feeding on this litter and cast chemistry. Seedlings of Betula pubescens L. were grown under zero and ambient UVB (at 52 °N) regimes under optimal conditions. Following three months exposure, plants were allowed to senesce and leaf litter was collected. Lumbricus terrestr...

The taxonomic structure of yeast communities was studied in forest litter and soil, as well as in substrates transformed by the activity of Lumbricus terrestris earthworms (leaves in heaps, the gut contents, and coproliths). The activity of L. terrestris has a weak effect on the total yeast abundance but results in substantial changes in the community taxonomic composition. The share of ascomyc...

Since the first introduction of genetically engineered (GE) plants, one of the major concerns has been their potential effects on non-target organisms and ecosystem services. We focused in this study on the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris as important ecosystem engineer and studied its performance when feeding on GE antifungal wheat. We compared litter consumption, weight change and mort...

A 200-day study was carried out to investigate the impact of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn on immature and adult Lumbricus terrestris in the field and in the laboratory. Another objective of this study was to develop test methods that could be used for standard testing of the impact of transgenic plants on different earthworm species in the field and in the laboratory. For this pu...

The enzymes O-seryl-A-acetylgalactosaminide glycosidase and A-acetyl-/?-D-hexosaminidase were found in the following invertebrates and vertebrates: Adamsia palliata, Mesostoma ehrenbergi, Bugula avicularia, Lumbricus terrestris, Pagurus prideauxi, Helix pomatia, Ciona intestinalis, Brachidanio albolineatus, Rana esculenta, chicken and ox. They were assayed by their action on neuraminic acid-fre...