Consommation annuelle d’une population naturelle de vers de terre (Millsonia anomala Omodeo, Acanthodrilidae: Oligochetes) dans la savane de Lamto (Côte d’lvoire)

Abstract

Consumption of the earth-feeding worm Millsonia anomala ( Oligochaeta, Acanthodrilidae) has been measured for individuals of different sizes bred in different temperature and soil moisture conditions. The total consumption of a field population can then be calculated if one knows, on a given period of time, the weight structure and the mean values of temperature and soil moisture. In one year, a field population of 215,000 worms (250 kg fresh weight) ingests 507 t/ha oven dry earth.