The performance of four species of earthworm-Eudrilus eugeniae, Kinberg, Drawida willsi Michaelsen, Lampito mauritii, Kinberg and Perionyx excavatus, Perrier-born and grown in vermireactors fed with paper waste was studied over six months, in terms of vermicast output per unit feed, production of offspring, and increase in worm zoomass. These were compared with the performance of the previous generation which had been raised to adulthood on cowdung as principal feed before shifting them to vermireactors operating on cowdung-spiked paper waste. The results indicated that except with D. willsi of which the second generation performed only a shade better than the first, there was significant improvement in vermicast output, animal growth, and reproduction in the second generation compared to the first. The results indicated that cowdung-spiked paper waste can be an adequate food for successive generations of earthworms and that reactors can be operated indefinitely on this feed. The results also indicated that the earthworm generations born and raised in vermireactors operated on this feed become better vermiconverters of this feed than the parent earthworms. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.