Comparative sensitivity of Eisenia andrei and Perionyx excavatus in earthworm avoidance tests using two soil types in the tropics.

Terrestrial avoidance behavior is proposed as a fast and cost-effective method for assessing effects of pesticides on earthworms. Tropical species however, have rarely been used in avoidance tests. Avoidance tests were performed with Perionyx excavatus, a tropical species, and Eisenia andrei as the standard species, using chlorpyrifos and carbofuran in artificial and natural soil. Earthworms were exposed to concentrations of 1-900 (chlorpyrifos) and 1-32 (carbofuran) mg a.i. k