• Species of Earthworms suitable for vermiculture.

• Reproduction and Life Cycle .

• Physical and Chemical effects of Vermiculture,
• Vermicomposting
• Site Selection,
• Cement pit Soil pit .
• Preparation of pit.
• Maintenance and Monitoring
• Earth worms are ubiquitous macroscopic organisms that inhabit almost
soils .
• Phylum –annelida
• Class-oilgochaeta, hirudinea = Clitellata polychaeta
• Vermiculture and vermicomposting are two related processes that
employ earthworms but with different goals.
• Vermiculture –vermes= worms .
• Sustainable harvest .
• Breeding earthworm under controlled conditions .
Species of Earthworms suitable for vermiculture.

• According to Reynolds and Wetzel =8300 species

• Certain species of worms have the potential for vermicomposting
Classification of Worms Based on Habitat
• Epigeic – (e-pi-‘jee-ik) upon the earth types live at soil surface in
decaying plant or animal residues.
• Endogeic – (en-doe-jee-ik) types live underground and eat soil to extract
nutrition from degraded organic residues
• Anecic – (an-ee-sik) types burrow deep in the soil but come to the
surface at night to forage for freshly decaying organic matter
• Epigeic earthworms live in areas containing high amounts of organic matter.
• They live at or near the soil surface and feed on leaf litter, decaying plant roots
or dung. Short live span
• These earthworms do not form permanent burrows.
• Epigeic species tend to have dark skin colour (pigmentation).
• They have high metabolic and reproductive rates which are the adaptations to
the highly variable environmental conditions at the soil surface.
• Being close to the ground surface exposes the earthworms to predators so
their muscles are strong and thick in proportion to their length, allowing for
quick movement.
• Epigeic species tend to be small (1–18 cm in length).
• Eg.Eudrilus excavutus,Eisenia foetida,Perionyx excavatus,
 ANECIC EARTH WORM
• Anecic earthworms live in permanent burrows as deep as 3 m below the soil
surface.
• They are the largest and longest lived earthworms.
• They collect food from the soil surface and ingest organomineral faeces matter.
They cast on the surface and these casts are quite often be seen in grasslands .
• Anecic earthworms form extensive burrows that extend laterally and vertically
through the subsoil.
• Their burrows can be up to 2 cm in diameter.
• Indigenous anecic species tend to be sluggish and have weakly developed muscles.
• These deep-burrowing species are also the longest, ranging from 3 cm up to a very
large 1.4 m.
• Anecics also provide food resources to endogeic worms
 Endogeic worms
• Endogeic earthworms are the most common earthworm species found in
New Zealand.
• Their niche is the top 20 cm depth of soil. Endogeic earthworms eat large
amounts of soil and the organic matter in it, although species sometimes
come to the surface to search for food.
• They form shallow semi-permanent burrows. Endogeic earthworms have
some pigmentation.
• Their muscle layers are not as thick nor do they move as quickly as
epigeic earthworms.
• Endogeic species range in size from 2.5–30 cm.
• Introduced endogeic earthworms are often found in agricultural soils,
while native endogeic earthworms are often found in tussock grasslands.
SPECIES OF WORMS SUITABLE FOR
VERMICULTURE .
• They must be with their natural ability to colonize organic wastes .
• They should have high rates of consumption digestion and
assimilation of organic matter.
• Tolerance .
• Short life cycles
• High- reproductive rates.
• Possess endurance and tolerance of handling.
 Composting potential of indigenous worms

PERIONYX EXCAVATUS

 Epigeic worms
 It is potentially one of the most useful species to break down
organic wastes.
 South asia
 Body size 23-120mmX2-5 mm.
 Number of segments ranges from 75 to 165.
 Colour is deep purple to reddish brown dorsally with blue
iridescence.
 Setae are perchaetine.
 Spermathecae are paired in segments 8 and 9.
 Sexual maturity is attained within 20-28 days .
Lampito mauritii
 It is an anecic indigenous worm.active .translucent milky white .
 Geophytophagous worm it is known to be voracious feeder of
humus in preference to soil.

 It burrows into the soil but the burrows are much shallow and
hence in vermicomposting a thin layer of beeding is adequate.
 It produce pellet- like casts.
 The size of the worm 80-120m m x 2.5-5mm with 166 to 201
segments.
 Colour is dark yellow with purplish tinge at anterior end .
 The posterior end is club shaped .
 Gizzard is present
 Clitellum is annular.
 Composting potential of exotic species
• Eudrilus eugeniae is native to Africa and is commonly called Africian
night crawler.
• The worm belongs to family Eudrilidea.
• The size ranges from 115 to 165 mmX4mm with the total number of
segments ranging from 160 to 200.
• The worm is reddish brown dorsally and pale sandy yellow ventrally .
• The setae are 8 per segment and lumbricine in arrangement.
• It is very active with rapid escape response when disturbed.
• Clitellum is located in segments 14 -18 incomplete ventrally .
• Cocoons are dark coloured with tapered lemon shape .
• Eisenia foetida  redworm.
• Lumbricidea . Native to Europe .
• It is a species of earthworm adapted to decaying
 organic material.
• Size 27 to 130mm -segments -100
• Setea are 8 per segment and lumbricine in
arrangement.
• Clitteum is saddle shaped -6 to 8 segments.
• Coccons are lemon shaped and yellow.
• The species identifier of its binomial name ‘foetida’,
means foul-smelling, and as it suggests the earthworm can
exude an odd smelling yellowish fluid if disturbed .
Common earth worm species found in kerala
Dichogaster annae