Freshwater oligochaetes (Annelida) from Western Ghats and the west coast of Karnataka (India)

A survey on freshwater oligochaetes was conducted between October 2011 and June 2013 in selected wetlands of the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shimoga districts of Karnataka, India. In this study, 260 wetlands were sampled and examined for the presence of microdriles. Sixteen species of aquatic oligochaetes were recorded. Of these, 10 species belonged to the family Naididae (monophyletic) and 6 species to the family Pristinidae. The species’ distribution patterns in different water bodies and habitat specificity (if any) in the study area are presented.