• Journal of Species Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.127-144
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• 2013

An earthworm survey of Busan metropolitan area unearthed a dozen taxa in four families (including Enchytraeidae). Members of mostly common, cosmopolitan earthworm species-complexes were: Drawida cf. koreana Kobayashi, 1938, Amynthas cf. corticis (Kinberg, 1867), Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dug$\grave{e}$s, 1828) and Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). Also found were Amynthas hupeiensis (Michaelsen, 1895), A. masatakae (Beddard, 1892) and Metaphire ryunome Blakemore, 2012 - the latter a new Korean record. New taxa are: moniligastrid Drawida songae yeongdo subsp. n.; megascolecid Amynthas carnosus roki subsp. n. which is compared to nominal taxon A. carnosus (Goto and Hatai, 1899) from Japan, to A. carnosus monstriferus (Kobayashi, 1936) stat. n. from Korea and to A. lichuanensis Wang and Qiu, 2005 stat. n. from China; plus lumbricid Eisenia japonica vaga subsp. n. deemed an objectively-based molecular taxon on its unique DNA COI gene barcode. Restoration of Eisenia xanthurus (Templeton, 1836) for E. andrei is mooted (in Appendix).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.88-93
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• 2007

The abundance of earthworm in the agro-ecosystem was assessed on the basis of 1,846 individuals collected from May to October 2006. Material was found from litter layers in soils by hand sorting and digging. They encompassed 3 families, 5 genera, and 15 species. Species composition and abundance were as follows: Amynthas agrestis 20.9%, Amynthas koreanus 20.3%, Amynthas heteropodus 15.4%, Amynthas sp. 8.7%, Drawida japonica 8.0%, Eisenia fetida 7.2%, Amynthas hilgendorfi 7.0%, Bimastos parvus 3.2%, Amynthas hupeiensis 2.5%, Aporrectodea caliginosa 1.8%, Amynthas corticis 1.8%, Aporrectodea tuberculata 1.3%, Eisenia andrei 1.2%, Amynthas sp. 20.4%, and Amynthas sp. 10.3%. Of 1,046 individuals, the A. agrestis, A. koreanus, and A. heteropodus were the most numerous members with abundance of 56.7%. Disc-shaped male pore region is useful for classification of Amynthas, and in the survey, we collected two new species with male discs from lettuce cultivated region, Amynthas sp. 1 Amynthas sp. 2. The clitellate vs. aclitellate ratio of the earthworm was approximately 1.25:1.0.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.297-303
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• 2012

New Korean lumbricids are described: Eisenia gaga Blakemore sp. nov. from remote Gageodo Island and E. sindo Blakemore, sp. nov. from an island at Incheon. Both are comparable to Eisenia koreana (Zicsi, 1972) from near Pyongyang, North Korea. A remarkable yet previously unrecognized similarity to American earthworm Eisenoides carolinensis (Michaelsen, 1910) is discussed, but synonymy is rejected on tenuous morphological grounds (form of nephridial vesicle bladders) with taxonomy supported by objective molecular data (mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 barcodes).

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.161-164
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• 2008

As a result of a taxonomic study on the earthworm material collected from Namat National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA), Hoaphane Province, Laos, a new species, Pithemera viengthongensis sp. novo is described from near Namchong river, Viengthong district. The new species bearing two pairs of spermathecal pores in 7/8, 8/9 is not assignable to any other species of Pithemera as defined by Sims and Easton (1972). In the new species, the male pore region has kidney-shaped pads extending between XVII-19/20, the male pores and spermathecal pores are 0.31 circumference apart, and genital papillae are lacking. The ventral view of anterior body region and the spermathecae are illustrated.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2005

During the expedition of Uileunsdo Islands, Korea in September 2-4, 2004, a total of seven species were recognized. Of these, one species Amynthas dageletensis sp. nov. is described as new to science. Amynthas degeletensis sp. nov. lacks spermathecal pore, spermathecae, prostates, and male pore. These characteristics are systematically important and unique to the species among Korean members of Amynthas. Description of the new species is provided, including illustrations of ventral view and male pore region.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.133-150
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• 2012

Amynthas tralfamadore sp. nov. is described from the Mt Halla, Jeju Island biosphere exhibition housed at NIBR Incheon. This species' taxonomy is problematical since it is similar to Amynthas masatakae (Beddard, 1892) from Japan, itself previously reported from Korea and at one time associated with Amynthas campestris (Goto & Hatai, 1898) and A. parvicystis (Goto & Hatai, 1899), all three variously implicated in prior A. robustus (Perrier, 1872) along with Amynthas aspergillum (Perrier, 1872). Based on reinspection of the London lectotype of A. masatakae-here designated and sketched for the first time-the current solution is for maintenance of all five taxa separately. A closely-related Japanese species-Metaphire ryunome sp. nov.-is comparable to Korean Metaphire reisuiensis (Kobayashi, 1938) comb. nov. Another specimen was identified as Amynthas micronarius (Goto & Hatai, 1898), a new record for Korea. It matches the newly-designated neotype (Tokyo NMST An446) and an annotated synonymy is provided; however, erstwhile synonyms, Amynthas shimaensis (Goto & Hatai, 1899) and A. yamizoyamensis (Ohfuchi, 1935) combs. novae, are briefly redescribed and provisionally restored to the Japanese list. mtDNA COI-5P barcode analyses support species identifications.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.48-58
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• 2009

Glycosyl hydrolases (GH, EC 3.2.1.-) are key enzymes which can hydrolyze the glycosidic bonds between two or more carbohydrates, or between a carbohydrate and a non-carbohydrate moiety. The new enzyme nomenclature of glycoside hydrolases is based on their amino acid sequence similarity and structural features. Here, we examined the glycosyl hydrolase family(GHF) genes reported from earthworm species. Among overall 115 GHFs, 12 GHFs could be identified from earthworm species through CAZy database. Of 12 GHF group genes, five genes including GHF2, 5, 17, 18, 20 are thought to be potent for industrial applications. The alignment of these genes with same genes from other animal species exhibited high sequence homology and some important amino acid residues necessary for enzyme activity appeared to be conserved. These genes can be utilized as a pest control agent or applicable to the food industry, clinical therapeutics and organic wastes disposition.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.195-199
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• 2002

Four new species of the genus Amynthas are described from Korea： Amynthas mujuensis sp. nov., Amynthas assimilis sp. nov., Amynthas moakensis sp. nov., and Amynthas sangumburi sp. nov. The intestinal caeca are of simple type and genital markings lacking in all four species. Amynthas mujuensis sp. nov. has male field with large oval papillae, each papilla with longitudinal seminal groove； paired spermathecal pores present in 6/7, 7/8 dorsally. Amynthas assimilis sp. nov. has mare field composed of paired symmetrical pear-shaped pads with broad ends laterally, axes of symmetry diagonally oriented towards posterior； spermathecal pores in 5/6, 6/7. Amynthas moakensis sp. nov. has male pores on small porophores surrounded by swollen concentric furrows, with the spermathecal pores in 6/7, 7/8, 8/9, ventrally. Amynthas sangumburi sp. nov. has male pores centered on 0.8 mm circular flat porophores, with the spermathecal pores in 5/6, 6/7, 7/8, 8/9, laterally.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2013

Previous surveys on Ulleung-do (Dagelet Isl.) found just ten earthworm taxa while the current survey unearthed a dozen species. Placement of parthenogenetic 'tube' Amynthas dageletensis Hong & Kim, 2005 is resolved as it clearly belongs in synonymy of Metaphire soulensis (Kobayashi, 1938) which becomes a new Ulleung-do record. Other new megascolecids are recorded since Amynthas heteropodus (Goto & Hatai, 1898) and A. baemsagolensis Hong & James, 2001 are confirmed as synonyms of A. corticis (Kinberg, 1867) and A. carnosus (Goto & Hatai, 1899), respectively. The latter taxon is differentiated and its synonym A. pingi (Stephenson, 1925) provisionally revived. New lumbricids are Bimastos parvus (Eisen, 1874), Eisenia japonica (Michaelsen, 1892) and questionably Dendrodrilus rubidus (Savigny, 1826). All confirmed species are common exotics with no endemics. Drawida moniligastrids were not yet located on this remote island for reasons unknown.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.15-54
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• 2013

Surveys on Jeju-do (Quelpart Isl.) unearthed about 40 earthworm species or sub-species. Several considered new to science are described. Only a dozen were previously known and these are taxonomically reviewed. The two most commonly recorded in surveys by S. Kobayashi in the 1930s were Drawida anchingiana Chen, 1933 and Metaphire quelparta (Kobayashi, 1937), neither recently relocated. Morphologically similar taxa, supported with DNA barcodes, for Moniligastridae, are Drawida anchingiana seogwipo, D. anchingiana halla and D. iucn spp. or sub-spp. nov. For Megascolecidae, new taxa and synonyms are: Amynthas arx and A. aucklandis spp. nov. that have seminal grooves rather than the eversible male pores of Metaphire plus Amynthas simplex is another new species. Amynthas sangumburi Hong & Kim, 2002 is recognized as a probable new synonym within the A. corticis (Kinberg, 1867) species-group while Amynthas corticis saeseum sub-sp nov. is described. Amynthas gracilis (Kinberg, 1867) is a new record from Jeju and Korea (with A. bouchei, A. omodeoi and A. edwardsi all by Zhao & Qiu, 2009 possible synonyms of this species group from China) with a Jejuan sub-species, A. gracilis insularum, sub-sp. nov. Presence on Jeju of Amynthas carnosus (Goto & Hatai, 1899) is confirmed (its further new synonyms are Chinese A. fuscus Qiu & Sun, 2012 and A. taiwumontis Shen et al., 2013), as is A. micronarius (Goto & Hatai, 1898) (with new synonym A. montanus Qiu & Sun, 2012 also an invalid secondary homonym). Amynthas phaselus maculosus (Hatai, 1930) is in new combination with A. kamitai (Kobayashi, 1934) and A. minjae Hong, 2001 syns. nov. Two newly described Metaphire quelparta sub-spp are M. q. seogwipo and M. q. valhalla these being supported with DNA barcodes despite the nominal taxon not yet being confirmed.