Seasonal effects on growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae

An experiment was conducted during the winter and summer seasons at Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU), Sylhet, Bangladesh, to examine the seasonal variations in the life cycle, growth, and reproduction of two epigeic earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. Earthworm species were reared in plastic containers filled with cow dung as the feeding medium, maintaining a moisture level of 60%–80%. Growth and reproductive characteristics were recorded at various stages. The results indicated that Eisenia fetida exhibited a longer incubation period (24±4.69 and 23.0±4.16 days), a higher number of hatchlings per cocoon (2.4±1.19 and 2.7±0.96), and greater hatching success rates (82.5% and 87.5%) during both winter and summer seasons, respectively. In contrast, Eudrilus eugeniae attained the greatest body length (12.98±0.69 cm and 13.09±0.54 cm per worm) and the highest weight (775.67±66.40 mg and 703.5±55.56 mg per worm) in winter and summer, respectively. Both species reached sexual maturity relatively earlier in winter. Additionally, E. fetida produced a higher number of cocoons per worm per week (2.35 ± 0.30 in winter and 3.00 ± 1.35 in summer). Cocoon production per worm per week in E. fetida showed a significant positive correlation with temperature (r=0.61**) during winter.