| Pheretima | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Clitellata |
| Subclass: | Oligochaeta |
| Order: | Haplotaxida |
| Family: | Megascolecidae |
| Genus: | Pheretima Kinberg, 1867 |
| Species | |
|
Many, see text |
|
Pheretima is a genus of earthworms found mostly in New Guinea and parts of Southeast Asia.
The clitellum is a band of grandular tissue present on segments 14 to 16. Individuals are hermaphroditic and reproduction can be either sexual or parthenogenetic. Female genital pores lie on the ventral surface of segment 14. A pair of male gential pores is situated ventrally on segment 18. Genital papiliae may also be present ventrally. As with all earthworms, development of young is without a larval stage and takes place in cocoons.
Similar genera include Amynthas, Archipheretima, Duplodicodrilus, Metaphire, Metapheretima, Pithemera, and Polypheretima. In combination these "pheretimoid" genera have about 1,000 species [1] making them an important ecological and taxonomic group of Oriental species (cf. Lumbricidae from Eurasia; Moniligastridae from Indo-Asian region).