NOT ALL LUMBRICID EARTHWORM (OLIGOCHAETA: LUMBRICIDAE) INVASIONS IN NORTH AMERICA HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL!

The relatively recent invasion of Oriental Megascolecidae into North America is currently being documented and much attention has been given it. Historically, the invasion of Lumbricidae since the 1800s is also well known, but of the 31 introduced lumbricid species, 17 are widely distributed across the continent, while 14 species which have been recorded since the mid 1950s have not met with the same success. These rarely encountered species have been reported from a single specimen to a limited number of individuals in a few North American states and/or provinces. Documentation of these species appears to be of less interest than that afforded the introductions of Oriental Megascolecidae species discussed in recent literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]