Driloleirus
Encyclopedia
Driloleirus is an earthworm
genus
in the family
Megascolecidae
.
This genus includes at least two species
:
Earthworm
Earthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Megascolecidae
Megascolecidae
Megascolecidae is a large family of earthworms which has native representatives in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast and East Asia, and North America. The most ancient lineages of the family show a Gondwanan distribution and have been used as evidence of continental drift. Members of the Pheretima...
.
This genus includes at least two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
:
- Driloleirus americanus – giant Palouse earthwormGiant Palouse earthwormThe giant Palouse earthworm or Washington giant earthworm is a species of earthworm belonging to the genus Driloleirus found in the Palouse region of Eastern Washington state as well as parts of Idaho in the United States. The worm was discovered in 1897 by Frank Smith near Pullman, Washington...
, Washington giant earthworm - Driloleirus macelfreshi – Oregon giant earthwormOregon giant earthwormThe Oregon giant earthworm is a species of invertebrate in the Megascolecidae family. This worm was first discovered in 1937, when a live specimen was unearthed in Salem...