Amynthas

Amynthas is a genus of earthworms in the family Megascolecidae.[1] They are known as jumping worms, snake worms, or crazy worms because of their erratic thrashing behaviour when disturbed.[2][3][4][5] The genus is native to East Asia, but they are invasive in many areas of the United States.[3][5][6] They are a matter of concern in many states, as they disrupt the native forest ecology by affecting soil structure and chemistry.[3][7]

Amynthas
Amynthas aspergillum (Taiwan)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Suborder: Lumbricina
Family: Megascolecidae
Genus: Amynthas
Kinberg, 1867
Jumping behaviour.

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.[3][8] They vary in size between 3.8 and 20.3 cm (1.5 and 8.0 in).[8][9]

Life cycle

Amynthas species' faster reproduction rate and their ability to reproduce asexually (parthenogenesis) has contributed to their spread into the United States.[10] The worms reach maturity in 60 days, which allows them to have two hatches per year.[10] Eggs are wrapped in small cocoons, which overwinter while the adults die off. The young then emerge the next spring.[11]

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)
  • †Amynthas japonicus (Horst, 1883)
  • Amynthas kinmenensis
  • Amynthas longicauliculatus (Gates, 1931)
  • Amynthas luridus (Shen, Chang, & Chih, 2019)[12]
  • 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)[12]
  • Amynthas sangumburi
  • Amynthas siam (Blakemore, 2011)
  • Amynthas srinan (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
  • Amynthas taiwumontis
  • Amynthas tessellatus
  • Amynthas tokioensis (Beddard, 1892)[12]
  • Amynthas tontong (Panha & Bantaowong, 2011)
  • Amynthas wuhumontis
  • Amynthas wujhouensis

References
  1. Bantaowong, U.; Chanabun, R.; Tongkerd, P.; Sutcharit, C.; James, S.W. & Panha, S. (2011). "New earthworm species of the genus Amynthas Kinberg, 1867 from Thailand (Clitellata, Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)". ZooKeys (90): 35–62. doi:10.3897/zookeys.90.1121. PMC 3084491. PMID 21594106.
  2. "Asian Jumping Worms". hortnews.extension.iastate.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  3. "Jumping worm (Amynthas species) | Minnesota DNR". www.dnr.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  4. Silver, Jennie. ""Jumping Worm" – Amynthas spp". Extension Richland County. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  5. "details". www.tsusinvasives.org. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  6. "Amynthas Worms in Maine : Maine DACF". www.maine.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  7. "Jumping worms". extension.umn.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  8. Wisconsin DNR Forest Health. "Jumping Worms (Amynthas spp.) Fact Sheet". Updated April 2015. Accessed Dec 22 2022.
  9. "Jumping Worms". www.michigan.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  10. "Jumping Worm (Amynthas spp.)". Cornell Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  11. weeks (2021-07-28). "Jumping/Crazy/Snake Worms – Amynthas spp". Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  12. Shen, H.-P.; Chang, C.-H. & Chih, W.-J. (2019). "Two new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from central Taiwan, with comments on some recent species assignments in Amynthas and Metaphire". Zootaxa. 4658 (1): 101–123. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4658.1.4. PMID 31716758.
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