The Glossoscolecidae are a large

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

earthworms An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. Th ...

(annelids) which has native representatives in

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. The

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

'' Pontoscolex corethrurus'' has a circumtropical distribution. They are found mostly in forest, but one species of earthworms lives primarily in coastal beach sand. The earthworms in this family can reach up to 2 m in length.

Selected genera

* ''

Andiorrhinus ''Andiorrhinus'' is a genus of earthworm in the family Glossoscolecidae. The genus contains 37 species subdivided into four subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International ...

'' * ''

Diaguita The Diaguita people are a group of South American indigenous people native to the Chilean Norte Chico and the Argentine Northwest. Western or Chilean Diaguitas lived mainly in the Transverse Valleys which incised in a semi-arid environment. Ea ...

'' * ''

Enantiodrilus ''Enantiodrilus'' is a genus of South American earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal ...

'' * '' Eurydame'' * '' Fimoscolex'' * '' Glossodrilus'' * ''

Glossoscolex Glossoscolex is a genus of South American earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segme ...

'' * '' Holoscolex'' * '' Rhigiodrilus'' * ''

Urochaeta Urochaeta is a genus of South American earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmenta ...

'' * ''

Pontoscolex ''Pontoscolex'' is a genus of earthworms in the family Glossoscolecidae, or alternatively, in the family Rhinodrilidae. General characteristics The type species ''Pontoscolex corethrurus'' has a circumtropical distribution, although it originat ...

References

Haplotaxida Annelid families {{Annelid-stub