Data from: A new earthworm species within a controversial genus: Eiseniona gerardoi sp. n. (Annelida, Lumbricidae) - description based on morphological and molecular data.

The morphological and anatomical simplicity of soil dwelling animals, such as earthworms, has limited the establishment of a robust taxonomy making it sometimes subjective to authors’ criteria. Within this context, integrative approaches including molecular information are becoming more popular to solve the phylogenetic positioning of conflictive taxa. Here we present the description of a new lumbricid species from the region of Extremadura (Spain), Eiseniona gerardoi sp. n. The assignment to this genus is based on both a morphological and a phylogenetic study. The validity of the genus Eiseniona, one of the most controversial within Lumbricidae, is discussed. A synopsis of the differences between the type species and the west-European members of the genus is provided.

以蚯蚓为代表的土壤栖息动物，其形态与解剖结构较为简单，这制约了稳健分类系统的构建，使得分类判定有时会因研究者的不同标准而带有主观性。在此背景下，整合分子信息等多维度数据的整合分类学方法，正逐渐成为解决争议类群系统发育定位问题的主流途径。本文记述了采自西班牙埃斯特雷马杜拉地区的正蚓科（Lumbricidae）新物种——Eiseniona gerardoi 新种（sp. n.）。该新种归入Eiseniona属的分类地位，同时基于形态学与系统发育学研究得以确立。本文还讨论了Eiseniona属的分类有效性，该属是正蚓科（Lumbricidae）中最具争议的类群之一。此外，本文整理并提供了该属模式种与西欧类群间的形态差异概要。