Insights into the diversity of Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) with descriptions of six new species.

The earthworm family Hormogastridae is a relatively diverse group in the Western Mediterranean basin. Since 1887, around thirty species have been described and assigned to four genera. However, from 2010 on, molecular, ecological and morphological studies have questioned the validity of those genera.

DNA barcoding of the Italian anecic Octodrilus species in rural (vineyard) and forested areas with description of Octodrilus zicsiniello sp. nov. (Clitellata, Megadrili).

DNA barcoding of 172 anecic Octodrilus specimens collected in NE Italy and bordering Croatia has been carried out. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree showed high support for almost all currently recognized species, however, some unexpected results also appeared. The clade representing Oc.

Pinpointing cryptic borders: Fine-scale phylogeography and genetic landscape analysis of the Hormogaster elisae complex (Oligochaeta, Hormogastridae).

Spatial and temporal aspects of the evolution of cryptic species complexes have received less attention than species delimitation within them. The phylogeography of the cryptic complex Hormogaster elisae (Oligochaeta, Hormogastridae) lacks knowledge on several aspects, including the small-scale distribution of its lineages or the palaeogeographic context of their diversification. To shed light on these topics, a dense specimen collection was performed in the center of the Iberian Peninsula - resulting in 28 new H.