Earthworms of Turkey∗

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Abstract
About 2000 earthworm specimens, collected during 1987–1988 in 50 localities of North‐Western Turkey, are described and classified. They belong to 51 species, 14 of which have not previously been described. For some new species it has been necessary to institute the new genus Healyella which is closely related to the genus Spermophorodrilus Bouché; both these genera are included in the new lumbricid subfamily Spermophorodrilinae, characterized by a peculiar pattern of copulating. Six other new species, some of which show curious morphological traits, are included in the genus Dendrobaena, and one in the genus Allolobophora. On the whole, the faunistic sample offers an interesting picture of the fauna of Turkey, which appears to be strongly linked to that of Caucasus; less evident but equally certain are relationships with the Carpatho‐Balkan fauna.