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Issue: Vol. 5589 No. 1: 19 Feb. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-02-19
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5589.1.15
Page range: 190-200
Abstract views: 70
PDF downloaded: 27

A report of the unusual presence of Haplotaxis cf. gordioides in a terrestrial subsoil and first isotopic analysis of its trophic position

Department of Soil Science and Agrophysics; Faculty of Agriculture and Economics; University of Agriculture in Krakow; Krakow; Poland
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Taxonomy and Phylogeny (RBINS); 29 rue Vautier; 1000-Brussels; Belgium
School of Agriculture and Food Science; University College Dublin; Belfield; Dublin 4; Ireland
Annelida Clitellata Luvisol

Abstract

Haplotaxis is a genus of aquatic oligochaetes for which only limited information is available on its taxonomy, distribution, habitat and diet. During a soil survey in southern Poland, specimens of Haplotaxis cf. gordioides were unexpectedly found in terrestrial mineral subsoils, isolated from any apparent water source. This discovery provides an opportunity to investigate two aspects of Haplotaxis: habitat and diet. For the first time, the predatory nature of Haplotaxis has been assessed using stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen and compared with detritivorous worms. In addition, the natural habitat of this genus was reconsidered through a literature review. This new terrestrial record raises questions about the habitat preference of Haplotaxis, suggesting that their rare soil presence may be due to challenges of extraction rather than actual absence. The finding highlights our limited understanding and exploration of subsoil fauna, including macrofauna. It also provides the first independent evidence for the predatory behaviour of Haplotaxis.

 

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