Ref ID : 7176
A.J. Reinecke and L. Hallatt; Growth and cocoon production of Perionyx excavatus (Oligochaeta). Biol.Fertil.Soils 8:303-306, 1989
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The biology of the oriental vermicomposting species, Perionyx excavatus, is poorly understood. Quantitative observations were made at 25 degrees C in urine free cattle manure in order to study the growth of this species. The rate of maturation and cocoon production were studied under conditions of favourable moisture and nutrition over a period of 250 days. The results obtained showed that while P. excavatus grows relatively slowly compared to other vermicomposting species, it attains sexual maturity much earlier and maintains a relatively high cocoon production rate. The study revealed that copulation is not a prerequisite for production of viable cocoons, indicating that P. excavatus may be parthenogenetic and possibly capable of alternating between modes of reproduction.