Polypheretima taprobanae (Beddard, 1892)

Perichaeta taprobanae Beddard, 1892a: 163; Beddard 1895a: 411.

Metapheretima taprobanae— Sims & Easton 1972: 181, 233.

Pheretima (Polypheretima) taprobanae— Thai 1983: 126.

Polypheretima taprobanae— Easton 1979: 45, Fig. 20c; Nakamura 1999: 8; Blakemore 2002: 234, Fig. 2.20; Shen & Yeo 2005: 27, Fig. 5; Blakemore 2007a: 97; Blakemore 2008b; Nguyen V.T. & Tran 2008: 185; Nguyen et al. 2010: 114; Nguyen et al. 2014: 117, Figs 3, 5.

Perichaeta pauli Michaelsen, 1897: 243, Fig. 26.

Pheretima taprobanae var. pauli— Michaelsen 1900: 309.

Metapheretima pauli— Sims & Easton 1972: 233.

Pheretima taprobanae— Michaelsen 1900: 308; Gates, 1972: 220; Pham 1995c: 101; Thai 2000a: 310; Huynh 2005a: 50; Nguyen 2014: 112.

See Blakemore (2002, 2012a) for more synonyms.

Type locality. Sri Lanka.

Type material. In the collection of Oxford University Museum, England.

Examined material. 6 C (SORC-V.241.2) Quang Binh Prov., Bo Trach Distr., Tan Trach commune, 18/05/ 1991, coll. Nguyen Van Thuan ; 1 C (SORC-V.241.6) Quang Binh Prov., Tuyen Hoa Distr., Mai Hoa commune, tea planted hill, 20 August 1991, coll. Nguyen Duc Tan ; 1 C (SORC-V.241.3) Quang Nam Prov., Nui Thanh Distr., Ky Ha, 24 January 1989, coll. Pham Thi Hong Ha ; 1 C, 1 A (SORC-V.241.6) Quang Ngai Prov., garden, 30 November 1994, coll. Cao Van Sung; 3 C (CTU-W.027.01) Vinh Long Prov., Vung Liem Distr., Trung Thanh commune, 9 November 2008, coll. Nguyen Thi Nhi .

Records from Vietnam. Nghe An (Quy Hop); Quang Binh (Tuyen Hoa; Minh Hoa; Quang Trach; Bo Trach); Quang Tri (Quang Tri; Huong Hoa); Thua Thien Hue (Huong Dien; Hue city); Da Nang (Hoa Vang); Quang Nam (Que Son; Hiep Duc; Nui Thanh; Tien Phuoc; Tra My); Quang Ngai (Tu Nghia); Gia Lai (Pleiku city); Binh Dinh; Vinh Long (Vung Liem) (Do 1994; Nguyen 1994; Pham 1995c; Huynh 1996; Nguyen V.T. & Tran 2008; Nguyen et al. 2010; Nguyen 2014).

Distribution. A cosmopolitan species (Blakemore 2002, 2007a).

Vietnamese name. Trùn taproban.

Remarks. The species has been recorded from various parts of the world (India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Brazil, Hawaii, Madagascar, Fiji, Australia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea) (Blakemore 2002). However, its homeland is still unknown. The species possibly originated in Southeast Asia (Easton 1979) or in Papua New Guinea (Gates 1972).