Earthworms are an important ecological group, especially in agricultural regions in Northeast China. However, fewer studies focus on this group of organisms compared with other faunal groups. Here, we sequenced 15 new mitogenomes of Aporrectodea tuberculata Eisen, 1874, A. trapezoides Duges, 1828, Eisenia nordenskioldi Eisen, 1878 and Drawida ghilarovi Gates, 1969 in Northeast China using a high-throughput sequencing platform. These incomplete linear and double-stranded mitogenomes vary from 14,998 bp to 16,123 bp in size and include 37 genes and a putative control region. Intraspecific genetic divergence was quantified in the lumbricid species, and a control region in D. ghilarovi was reported for the first time by comparison to the mitogenomes of the congeners. Phylogenetic analysis based on coding genes and ribosomal DNA datasets using BI and ML inferences showed the non-monophyly of Aporrectodea and polyphyly of E. nordenskioldi. Future works should examine the taxonomy, phylogeny and population genetics not only of Lumbricidae but also the other earthworm families on the global scale using mitogenomic and nuclear data.

Three new Pinelema species, P. cunfengensis Zhao & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), P. podiensis Zhao & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), and P. qingfengensis Zhao & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), are described from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, bringing the total number of Pinelema species to eight. All occur in Yunnan Province or the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The male palp of Telemidae was studied for the first time using scanning electron microscope.

Pheretimoid earthworms, Amynthas carnosus, were collected from Northeast and North China. An update on the distribution and systematics of the A. carnosus complex in eastern Asia using both morphological and molecular data is provided. Three subspecies, A. carnosus carnosus, A. carnosus naribunji, and A. carnosus roki, are confirmed. Comparisons of morphological characters between the subspecies of A. carnosus are provided. Our results support the subspecies assignment with an intraspecific K2P genetic distance of not greater than 10% using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). In addition, a re-description of the morphology of A. carnosus naribunji is presented here.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of three species of Odontiinae were newly sequenced: Dausara latiterminalis Yoshiyasu, Heortia vitessoides (Moore), and Pseudonoorda nigropunctalis (Hampson). These circular and double-stranded mitogenomes vary from 15,084 bp to 15,237 bp in size, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and an A + T-rich region. The nucleotide composition indicated a strong A/T bias. Most PCGs are initiated with an ATN codon and terminated by a codon of TAR. All tRNAs could be folded into the clover-leaf structure with the exception of trnS1 (AGN), in which the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm formed a simple loop, and the motif ‘ATAG’ and ‘ATTTA’ in the A + T-rich region was also founded. The phylogenomic analyses covering Odontiinae + 11 subfamilies of Pyraloidea were conducted. Similar topologies were generated from both Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses based on the nucleotide and amino acid sequence data. There was some discrepancy in the sister-group relationship of Odontiinae and Glaphyriinae, and the relationships among the subfamilies in the ‘CAMMSS clade’ of the Crambidae. The results of this study suggest that mitogenomic data are useful for resolving the deep-level relationships of Pyraloidea and the topologies generated from amino acid data might be more realistic and reliable. Moreover, more mitogenomic taxon sampling and larger scale analyses with more genes or a combination of mitogenomic and nuclear genes are needed to reconstruct a comprehensive framework of the pyraloid phylogeny.

The earthworm genus Drawida Michaelsen, 1900, has remained taxonomically and biogeographically unclear in China, with only one species described, D. ganini Zhang & Wu, 2021, which belongs to the D. ghilarovi Gates, 1969 species complex. Here, a new species, D. yanbianensis Liu & Zhao, sp. nov., is described from Northeast China based on both morphological characters and molecular data. The new species is characterized by having a single pair of female pore slits on segment XII, a clitellum spanning five segments (X−XIV), a short body length (45.8–78 mm), having large and oval-shaped spermathecal ampulla with long coiled ducts, and having ovisacs from the ovary chamber on XI extending to XV. The new species status is supported with molecular data using the mitochondrial COI gene and four nuclear genes. The phylogenetic analysis shows that the new species is clustered with D. ghilarovi with a COIK2P genetic distance from the other species ranging from 12.4% to 20.9%. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolution and distribution of the D. ghilarovi species complex and expands the known diversity within the genus Drawida.

A new pheretimoid earthworm species, Metaphire liaoningensissp. nov., was investigated in northeastern China. The taxonomy of M. liaoningensissp. nov. using morphological characters and molecular data is reported, as well as its current geographical range in northeastern China. The new species, belonging to the M. houlleti species group, is characterized by having three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7/8/9, round and small pre-clitellar genital markings medio-ventral to the spermathecal pore opening, the first dorsal pore in 12/13, and the spermathecae ampulla large, nearly elliptical with a surface wrinkled and a duct long and stout. The molecular phylogenetic position of M. liaoningensissp. nov. within the M. houlleti species group is performed by COI and mitogenomic data, respectively. The COIK2P genetic distance between the new species and the other species within the M. houlleti species group was at least 16%. This is the second updated report of a new pheretimoid species in northeastern China since the last decade.