{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,25]],"date-time":"2026-07-25T00:21:33Z","timestamp":1784938893548,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Magnolia Press","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Zootaxa"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper provides clear and definitive answers to the confusion caused by parthenogenetic forms in the delimitation of species in the earthworm taxonomy of the Balkan Peninsula. Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) is a species group with high morphological variability. Its varieties have been described several times under specific names, and erroneous identifications still need to be corrected. Dendrobaena illyrica has been considered a parthenogenetic species. The taxonomic relationships between D. illyrica and the little-known Balkan endemic species Dendrobaena serbica Karaman, 1973 have been a long-standing puzzle. The taxonomic status of D. serbica was clarified by comparing specimens from our collections and literature data, to determine the intraspecific variations of morphological characters. Our specimen\u2019s research has significantly corrected previous misconceptions, indicating that D. serbica shows biparental reproduction with phoral insemination. Considering the morphological and biogeographic differences of the species mentioned, we propose that D. serbica is not a parthenogenetic form of D. illyrica.\n\u00a0<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.5589.1.19","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,19]],"date-time":"2025-02-19T00:03:08Z","timestamp":1739923388000},"page":"242-247","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Morphological variability, distribution and taxonomic relationships of Dendrobaena illyrica (Cognetti, 1906) (Lumbricidae)"],"prefix":"10.11646","volume":"5589","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5913-8034","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"FILIP J.","family":"POPOVI\u0106","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7778-434X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"JOVANA M.","family":"SEKULI\u0106","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9607-0668","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"TANJA B.","family":"TRAKI\u0106","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"4913","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"407781","unstructured":"Christian, E. & Zicsi, A. (1999) Ein synoptischer Bestimmungsschl\u00fcssel der Regenw\u00fcrmer \u00d6sterreichs (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Bodenkultur, 50 (2), 121\u2013131."},{"key":"407782","unstructured":"Cognetti, L. (1906) Nuovi dati sui Lumbricidi dell\u2019Europa orientale. Bollettino dei Musei di zoologia ed anatomia comparata della R. Universit\u00e0 di Torino, 21 (257), 1\u201318"},{"key":"407783","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Csuzdi, C., Valchovski, H., Kr\u00edzsik, V., Pavl\u00ed\u010dek, T. & Szederjesi, T. (2023) On the molecular taxonomy of the Dendrobaena alpina species complex, with description of a new species (Crassiclitellata, Lumbricidae). Zootaxa, 5255 (1), 62\u201367. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11646\/zootaxa.5255.1.10","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.5255.1.10"},{"key":"407784","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Csuzdi, C., Chang, C. H., Pavl\u00edcek, T., Szederjesi, T., Esopi, D. & Szl\u00e1vecz, K. 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International Trust for forZoological Nomenclature, c\/o Natural History Museum, London, 306 pp."},{"key":"407790","unstructured":"Karaman, S. (1973) Drugi prilog poznavanju ki\u0161nih glista Srbije. Zbornik radova, 1: 177\u2013182. [in Serbian]"},{"key":"407791","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lehmitz, R., R\u00f6mbke, J., Jaensch, S., Krueck, S., Beylich, A. & Graefe, U. (2014) Checklist of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) from Germany. Zootaxa, 3866 (2), 221\u2013245. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11646\/zootaxa.3866.2.3","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.3866.2.3"},{"key":"407792","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mezhzherin, S.V., Chayka, Y.Y. Vlasenko, R.P., Zhalay, E.I., Rostovskaya, O.V. & Harbar, O.V. (2021) The Alternative Distribution of Related Earthworms Aporrectodea caliginosa and A. trapezoides (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) in Ukraine as a Case of Geographical Parthenogenesis. Zoodiversity, 55 (3), 185\u2013194. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.15407\/zoo2021.03.185","DOI":"10.15407\/zoo2021.03.185"},{"key":"407793","unstructured":"Mr\u0161i\u0107, N. (1991) Monograph on earthworms (Lumbricidae) of the Balkans I, II. Slovenska Akademija Znanosti in Umetnosti, Razred za Naravoslovne Vede, Opera, Ljubljana, 31, 1\u2013757."},{"key":"407794","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Omodeo, P. & Rota, E. (1989) Earthworms of Turkey. Italian Journal of Zoology, 56, 167\u2212199. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/11250008909355639","DOI":"10.1080\/11250008909355639"},{"key":"407795","unstructured":"Omodeo, P. & Rota, E. (2005) Speciography and intrapopulation variability in lumbricids. In: Pop, V.V. & Pop, A.A. (Eds.), Advances in Earthworm Taxonomy II Cluj. University Press, Cluj-Napoca, pp. 3\u201316."},{"key":"407796","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Omodeo, P. (2000) Evolution and biogeography of megadriles (Annelida, Clitellata). 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Annales Zoologici Fennici, 89\u2013104."},{"key":"407803","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sekuli\u0107, J., Stojanovi\u0107, M., Popovi\u0107, F. & Traki\u0107, T. (2022) Checklist of the earthworm fauna of Bosnia & Herzegovina (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Zootaxa, 5093 (5), 501\u2013518. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11646\/zootaxa.5093.5.1.","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.5093.5.1"},{"key":"407804","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sekuli\u0107, J., Stojanovi\u0107, M., Traki\u0107, T., Radosavljevi\u0107, S. & Popovi\u0107, F. (2021) Diversity of earthworms (Clitellata: Oligochaeta) from Serbian side of \u0160ar mountain. 1st International Conference on Chemo and Bioinformatics, Kragujevac Serbia, Book of Proceedings, pp. 198\u2013201. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.46793\/ICCBI21.198S.","DOI":"10.46793\/ICCBI21.198S"},{"key":"407805","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shekhovtsov, S.V., Rapoport, I.B., Poluboyarova, T.V., Geraskina, A.P., Golovanova, E.V. & Peltek, S.E. 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