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An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (or subclass , depending on the author) Oligochaeta .
The Kentucky earthworm seems to breed during the winter. [11] [45] This likely has to do with the increase of precipitation in its regions during winter months. [11] It appears to go into aestivation during the drier parts of the year, unlike many other earthworm species in their range. [11]
Oligochaetes are well-segmented worms and most have a spacious body cavity (coelom) used as a hydroskeleton.They range in length from less than 0.5 mm (0.02 in) up to 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) in the 'giant' species such as the giant Gippsland earthworm (Megascolides australis) and the Mekong worm (Amynthas mekongianus).
However, 'earthworm' can be a source of confusion since, in most of the world, other species are more typical. For example, through much of the unirrigated temperate areas of the world, the "common earthworm" is actually Aporrectodea (=Allolobophora) trapezoides, which in those areas is a similar size and dark colour to L. terrestris.
The annelids (/ ˈ æ n ə l ɪ d z /), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (/ ə ˈ n ɛ l ɪ d ə /; from Latin anellus 'little ring'). [3] [a] The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches.
Annelida, consists of the segmented worms, with bodies divided into segments or rings. Among these worms are the earthworms and the bristle worms of the sea. Familiar worms include the earthworms, members of phylum Annelida. Other invertebrate groups may be called worms, especially colloquially.
List of annelid families describes the taxa relationships in the phylum Annelida, which contains more than 17,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. [ 1 ] Class Polychaeta
Pleistoannelida is a group of annelid worms that comprises the vast majority of the diversity in phylum Annelida.Discovered through phylogenetic analyses, it is the largest clade of annelids, comprised by the last common ancestor of the highly diverse sister groups Errantia and Sedentaria (Clitellata and related polychaetes) and all the descendants of that ancestor.