Microscolex Rosa, 1887

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 : 291

Genus Microscolex Rosa, 1887

Microscolex dubius ( Fletcher, 1888: 378)

Described from garden soil, Sydney, Mulwala, NSW Australia. The species’ original home is most probably in the southern part of South America ( Gates 1972).A synantropic species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions intentionally, or accidentally by man. In RSA recorded by Michaelsen (1899 a, 1913 a, 1933), Pickford (1937), Ljungström (1972), and Zicsi (1998) from numerous collection sites: Boshof (FS); Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Craddock (EC); Cape Flats, Bergvleit, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, French Hoek, Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak Road (WC). Occasionally found with the introduced lumbricid Aporrectodea rosea and the indigenous Proandricus timmianus (Michaelsen, 1933) . Various authors expected species common distribution, however, during last decades no new material has been reported.

Microscolex phosphoreus (Dugès, 1837: 17)

Described from a greenhouse in France. Origin expected in southern part of South America ( Gates 1972). Synantropic, known from various parts of the world, broadly distributed by man to tropical and subtropical regions. Recorded also in temperate zone from greenhouses and also in the field in Hungary (e.g. Csuzdi 1986).

In RSA recorded by Michaelsen (1899 a, b, 1908, 1913 a), Pickford (1937), Sciacchitano (1960), Ljungström (1972), and Zicsi & Pajor (1992) from a range of localities: Soutpansberg, small kloof near Louis Trichardt [= Makhado] ( LP); near Lesotho bor- der ( FS); Kranzkop ( KZN); Port Elizabeth ( EC); ‘Kafferlandet’ (which is probably Cape Peninsula), Hout Bay and Mossel Bay ( WC); Little Namaland and Komaggas [Namaqualand] ( NC). Ljungström (1972) mentioned a sample collected in Pietermaritzburg ( KZN), housed in ZMUH. In the NMSAD recorded from garden soil in St Lucia ( KZN). Pickford (1937) found this species in native forest (Soutpansberg) and in a number of other sites in various provinces, and predicted its broad distribution, suggesting common occurrence in South Africa. However, during the last decades only one specimen was added to the NMSA collection.