One of the most obvious differences between caterpillars and worms is caterpillars move around on three pairs of legs, while worms have no limbs at all. Worms move around by contracting their segments.
If you’ve ever opened up your garbage can and spotted hundreds of “tiny white worms� writhing about, chances are they were not worms. Those nasty little creatures are called maggots.
It is estimated that more than 40 million people become infected with pinworms each year. While people of all ages can become infected with pinworms, children and teens (ages 5-14) make up the majority of new cases reported each year.
It’s brown, it’s long, it’s shiny — so it must be a worm, right? Not necessarily. While many worms are brown in color, some can be shiny, and most are long, there are several sure signs that the animal you just found slithering around on your floor is probably a centipede – not a worm.
Besides the Sahara Desert, it is unlikely that you will find large numbers of worms living in “sandy” areas, especially sandy beaches. You see, the vast majority of worms on our planet can only survive under certain conditions.
If you are feeding your cat (or dog) a diet of wet or dry pet food from your grocer’s shelves, chances are the pet food is chock full of unhealthy animal by-products. While it is not a common occurrence to find worms in your pet food, it is a possibility.
The glow worm may attract the most attention when it comes to intrigue and beauty, but there is another “worm� that may attract attention for an altogether different reason. This worm is so odd looking, that one can’t help but wonder “what kind of worm is that?� That black and yellow worm that you spotted dangling from a lone leaf or making its way up the trunk of a tree is commonly called a Catalpa Sphinx. Cool name for a cool worm, huh?
It is believed that at any given time the human body may be infected with dozens of different types of parasites. Some are microscopic while others are quite visible to the naked eye. Some parasites are found more often in animals – the bloodworm typically infects horses, and others may affect humans more often.
Believe it or not, the market for bait worms is huge in the U.S. and in most other parts of the world. It is estimated that in the state of Maine alone, more than 200 tons of bait worms are produced each year and in the UK, more than 700 tons are produced each year for both commercial and personal use.
The tomato worm pupa or cocoon is brown, hard, and around an inch and a half long. The pupa or cocoon waits out the winter season (overwinters) and hatches in the spring.
If you’re curious about those whitish, gray grub worms with brown faces writhing around in your grass, first of all, don’t worry – they’re harmless to humans. These grub worms are the larvae of scarab beetles, and they are known as “white grubs.�
The bristles or “setae� of the bristleworm are so tough, that they can penetrate skin, causing a painful “sting.� Depending on the type of bristleworm, the sting can cause burning, inflammation, numbness, pain, redness, and swelling at the bite or sting site.
Much like spiders, some inch worms have the ability produce thin delicate lines. In some cases, these thin lines are made of silk.
Whether you’re a farmer, a gardener or a novice, you may have experienced an inch worm infestation at one point or another. More than likely the inch worm infestation caused so much damage to your crops, plants or garden that you may have resorted to poisonous chemical remedies to treat the infestation. These remedies may have been effective, but you may have concerns about the toxic nature of these chemicals. Fortunately, there are several less toxic and non-toxic ways to control inch worm infestations.
If you noticed a white speckled worm writhing or darting around in your soil or in a body of water, chances are it was a flatworm. This thin creature may look complicated, but flatworms are actually the simplest of all worm groups.
Blackworms can be found in just about any city, town or rural area in the United States. They typically live in muddy areas, especially shallow water. Blackworms can be found in droves in ponds and marshes. Blackworms belong to the Phylum Annelida; Class Name Oligochaeta, Genus and Species Lumbriculus variegates. Blackworms are also called the “California blackworm� and “mudworms.�
Jack pine budworms are considered to be the most damaging pests to pine trees, especially jack pines. Jack pine budworms feed off the needles of pine strands. It is native to North America and not only is it damaging to pines, it can cause enough damage to contribute significantly to wildfires.
While the banded woolly bear does not use its bristles for protection, it has another defense mechanism. If handled or threatened in any way, the banded woolly bear will simply play dead.