Amynthas
{{Short description|Genus of annelid worms}}
{{Automatic_taxobox
| image = Amynthas aspergillum imported from iNaturalist photo 208135275 on 21 December 2022.jpg
| image_caption = Amynthas aspergillum (Taiwan)
| taxon = Amynthas
| authority = Kinberg, 1867
}}
File:Amynthas agrestis 97113364.gif
Amynthas is a genus of earthworms in the family Megascolecidae.{{cite journal |author=Bantaowong, U. |author2=Chanabun, R. |author3=Tongkerd, P. |author4=Sutcharit, C. |author5=James, S.W. |author6=Panha, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2011 |title=New earthworm species of the genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 from Thailand (Clitellata, Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae) |journal=ZooKeys |issue=90 |pages=35–62 |doi= 10.3897/zookeys.90.1121|pmid=21594106 |pmc=3084491 |doi-access=free }} They are known as jumping worms, snake worms, or crazy worms because of their erratic thrashing behaviour when disturbed.{{Cite web |title=Asian Jumping Worms |url=https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2017/05/asian-jumping-worms |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=hortnews.extension.iastate.edu |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Jumping worm (Amynthas species) {{!}} Minnesota DNR |url=https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/jumping-worm/index.html |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=www.dnr.state.mn.us |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Silver |first=Jennie |title=“Jumping Worm” – Amynthas spp. |url=https://richland.extension.wisc.edu/2022/06/17/jumping-worm-amynthas-spp/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=Extension Richland County |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=details |url=http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/database/amynthas-spp- |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=www.tsusinvasives.org |language=en}} The genus is native to East Asia, but they are invasive in many areas of the United States.{{Cite web |title=Amynthas Worms in Maine : Maine DACF |url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/horticulture/jumpingworms.shtml |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=www.maine.gov}} They are a matter of concern in many states, as they disrupt the native forest ecology by affecting soil structure and chemistry.{{Cite web |title=Jumping worms |url=https://extension.umn.edu/identify-invasive-species/jumping-worms |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=extension.umn.edu |language=en}}
Appearance
Amynthas species can be differentiated from other earthworms by their clitellum, which is pale, annular, is close to the head, and lies flat against the body.Wisconsin DNR Forest Health. "[https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/invasives/documents/JumpingWormFactSheet.pdf Jumping Worms (Amynthas spp.) Fact Sheet]". Updated April 2015. Accessed Dec 22 2022. They vary in size between {{Convert|3.8|and|20.3|cm|in|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |title=Jumping Worms |url=https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/worms/jumping-worms |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=www.michigan.gov |language=en}}
Life cycle
Amynthas species' faster reproduction rate and their ability to reproduce asexually (parthenogenesis) has contributed to their spread into the United States.{{Cite web |title=Jumping Worm (Amynthas spp.) |url=http://wyoming.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/jumping-worm-amynthas-spp |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Cornell Cooperative Extension |language=en}} The worms reach maturity in 60 days, which allows them to have two hatches per year. Eggs are wrapped in small cocoons, which overwinter while the adults die off at the first freeze each year.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-14 |title=Invasive Asian Jumping Earthworms |url=https://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/invasive-asian-jumping-earthworms|access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Cornell Cooperative Extension |language=en}} The young then emerge the next spring.{{Cite web |last=weeks |date=2021-07-28 |title=Jumping/Crazy/Snake Worms – Amynthas spp. |url=https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/jumpingcrazysnake-worms-amynthas-spp |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment |language=en}}
Species
- Amynthas agrestis (Goto and Hatai, 1899)
- Amynthas alexandri (Beddard, 1900)
- Amynthas assimilis (Hong & Kim, 2002)
- Amynthas borealis (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
- Amynthas comptus (Gates, 1932)
- Amynthas defecta (Gates, 1930)
- Amynthas dorualis
- Amynthas exiguus (Gates, 1930)
- Amynthas fucosus (Gates, 1933)
- Amynthas gracilis (Kinberg, 1867)
- Amynthas hilgendorfi (Michaelsen, 1892)
- Amynthas hupbonensis (Stephenson, 1931)
- {{extinct}}Amynthas japonicus (Horst, 1883)
- Amynthas kinmenensis
- Amynthas longicauliculatus (Gates, 1931)
- Amynthas luridus (Shen, Chang, & Chih, 2019){{cite journal |author=Shen, H.-P. |author2=Chang, C.-H. |author3=Chih, W.-J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2019 |title=Two new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from central Taiwan, with comments on some recent species assignments in Amynthas and Metaphire |journal=Zootaxa |volume=4658 |issue=1 |pages=101–123 |doi= 10.11646/zootaxa.4658.1.4|pmid=31716758 |doi-access= }}
- Amynthas mekongianus (Cognetti, 1922)
- Amynthas minimus
- Amynthas mirifius
- Amynthas moakensis
- Amynthas morrisi (Beddard, 1892)
- Amynthas mujuensis
- Amynthas obsoletus
- Amynthas papulosus (Rosa, 1896)
- Amynthas phatubensis (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
- Amynthas polyglandularis
- Amynthas pulvinus
- Amynthas ruiyenensis (Shen, Chang, & Chih, 2019)
- Amynthas sangumburi
- Amynthas siam (Blakemore, 2011)
- Amynthas srinan (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
- Amynthas taiwumontis
- Amynthas tessellatus
- Amynthas tokioensis (Beddard, 1892)
- Amynthas tontong (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
- Amynthas wuhumontis
- Amynthas wujhouensis
References
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