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<p>Resolving earthworm taxonomy is challenging due to morphological convergence and cryptic variation, which often cause species to be misidentified or unjustified synonym substitutions. A persistent issue in Moniligastridae systematics has been the status of <i>Drawida jalpaigurensis</i> Stephenson, 1916, long postulated to be conspecific with <i>Drawida nepalensis</i> Michaelsen, 1907. To address this, we used an integrative approach that combined thorough morphological examination with molecular analysis of mitochondrial <i>COI</i> gene sequences. Our reassessment found clear, consistent differences between the two species, and phylogenetic analyses confirmed they are distinct, each forming separate, well-supported clades. The Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) algorithm for species delimitation also confirmed their evolutionary separation. These results conclusively resolve the synonymy debate, reestablishing <i>D. jalpaigurensis</i> as a species separate from <i>D. nepalensis</i>. This study demonstrates the importance of integrative taxonomy for uncovering hidden diversity and improving classification, especially in groups like Moniligastridae that have been historically understudied.</p>

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Restoration of Drawida jalpaigurensis Stephenson, 1916 as a distinct species based on molecular and phylogenetic insights

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月24日

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  • Nalini Tiwari,
  • Kaushik Shilpi,
  • Shweta Yadav

摘要

Resolving earthworm taxonomy is challenging due to morphological convergence and cryptic variation, which often cause species to be misidentified or unjustified synonym substitutions. A persistent issue in Moniligastridae systematics has been the status of Drawida jalpaigurensis Stephenson, 1916, long postulated to be conspecific with Drawida nepalensis Michaelsen, 1907. To address this, we used an integrative approach that combined thorough morphological examination with molecular analysis of mitochondrial COI gene sequences. Our reassessment found clear, consistent differences between the two species, and phylogenetic analyses confirmed they are distinct, each forming separate, well-supported clades. The Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) algorithm for species delimitation also confirmed their evolutionary separation. These results conclusively resolve the synonymy debate, reestablishing D. jalpaigurensis as a species separate from D. nepalensis. This study demonstrates the importance of integrative taxonomy for uncovering hidden diversity and improving classification, especially in groups like Moniligastridae that have been historically understudied.