Acanthodrilidae Claus, 1880 emend. Csuzdi, 1996

Plisko, Jadwiga Danuta, 2010, Megadrile earthworm taxa introduced to South African soils (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Eudrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Lumbricidae, Megascolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae), African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 289-289 : 290-291

Family Acanthodrilidae Claus, 1880 emend. Csuzdi, 1996

Taxonomic status and geographical distribution of taxa currently accounted to this family are under continuous study, discussion and evaluation, with various generic and specific accreditation, and occasional indications on other family linkage (Csuzdi 1995, 1996; Jamieson et al. 2002; James 2005; Blakemore 2005, 2006 b, 2007, 2008 b; Pop et al. 2005; and many others). In this paper, a taxonomic endorsement is partly based on the family rank and its capacity proposed by Csuzdi (1995, 1996, 2000), with the inclusion of the Benhamiinae . Acanthodrilid taxa are known from the warmer parts of southern and eastern parts of North America and the southern and eastern regions of South America; on the African continent they occur in western, central and eastern regions, and in RSA; they are also known from New Zealand, New Caledonia and parts of Australia. In South Africa 146 indigenous species occur, probably pre- or Gondwanan and related to South American taxa ( Pickford 1937; Plisko 2007,

2008; Moreno et al. 2008), and some Eodriloides possibly allied to Australian/New Zealandian taxa (Blakemore 2008 c), are all placed in the subfamily Acanthodrilinae . Six Benhamiinae species of Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus) : affinis , annae , bolaui , modiglianii , saliens and krugeri possibly originating in West or Central Africa and described under numerous synonyms (presented chiefly by Csuzdi (1996, 2000)), have been passively transported by man to various parts of the world and also occur in South African soils. Microscolex dubius and phosphoreus , both possibly native to South America but introduced by man widely across the world, are also recorded from RSA.