Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Worms Generally

Bright Green Worms Under Paving Slab Could be Fly Larvae or Caterpillars

“I found these (see attached video) underneath a paving slab, which was in the middle of a small 2m x 2m bed”, writes Sarah in her submission regarding the bright green worms pictured below. “I don’t think they are caterpillars. There was a big mass of them. Are they harmful? If so, could you suggest some options for dealing with them? I live in Cardiff, UK. Many thanks.” To start with, we have to point out that the video Sarah sent us (from which the screenshot below is taken) is really blurry, which makes it near impossible to make out any identifying information about the organisms other than their general shape and coloration. For that reason, we have to warn her that any suggestions we make as to their identity is not going to be 100% certain or accurate.

Continue Reading
Posted in Cat Worms Garden Worms Worms Generally

Black Worms Found Under Cat’s Scratching Pads Might be Fungus Gnat Larvae

“After sweeping my floors, I noticed a lot of black dirt under my cat’s scratching pads. As I stared at it, I noticed it was moving (wiggling)”, writes Rebecca in her submission. “They are very tiny, black in color, and have no legs. You would think it’s just dirt. It’s not just one, there are many. I feel that they are larvae of some type. What are they? Unfortunately I did not take a picture.” In response to that last sentence, it will be very difficult to identify these organisms based purely on this context; tiny, black worms are not very rare, and this description matches a lot of species of worms and worm-like creatures. Additionally, although Rebecca does not tell us if her cat is an outdoor cat, seeing as she first thought the worms were dirt, we assume it is. That broadens the possibilities of these creatures’ identity further, as we would assume these are worms that the cat accidentally brought in from outside.

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Pest Worms

Black Caterpillar on Patio is a Cutworm

“What kind of worm is this?” asks Harriet in her submission regarding the black creature pictured below. “I found them on my patio after watering and I have a picture.” We think the worm Harriet found is not a worm at all, but a cutworm, albeit a very young one at that (given the size). Cutworms are caterpillars of the cutworm moth. They are notorious agricultural pests, as they come in large droves and kill plants. The way they do this is by munching through the stems of the plants, thereby cutting them down (hence the name). If their populations are big enough, they can even eliminate entire fields of crops.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Interesting Worms Worms Facts

Yellow and Black Caterpillar on Rock is Actually a Dogwood Sawfly Larvae

“I found this caterpillar crawling on this rock outside my garage”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the black and yellow creature pictured below. “I live in Central Minnesota. I haven’t been able to identify it and I’m hoping you can tell me what it is? Thank you!” To start with, we want to thank our reader right back for this absolutely incredible photo! It is photos like these that make identifying the organisms we are asked about so much easier. Besides, they make a wonderful addition to our library. And because of this, we can indeed tell our reader what this is. This is a dogwood sawfly larva.

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Pest Worms

Pink Worm on Bed is an Erythrina Stem Borer

“I read an article about trying to identify a pink worm in the bedroom, but it was difficult to do so without seeing the legs”, writes this reader in his submission regarding the pink critter pictured below. “I found a similar worm on my bed and wanted to share the video I took. I live in Toledo, Ohio. Thank you!” Based on the great photo he sent in, we have identified this is an erythrina stem borer caterpillar. These creatures are unfortunately pests of coral trees, which they are named after. They can be found all over the Americas where there are coral trees, from South America and the Caribbean, to California and Florida. Similar species have also been found in Asia and Africa, though they are not the same species.

Continue Reading
Posted in Centipedes and Millipedes Garden Worms Interesting Worms

Worms in Terrarium are Soil Nematodes and Centipedes

“I found a similar article about white worms in terrariums, but I wanted to be sure I had the same bugs!” exclaims this reader in her submission regarding the translucent worms pictured below. “These white worms don’t appear to be actively moving, and I just noticed them today after having made this terrarium from moss from my yard last month. There’s the white worms, and then another two that appear different. One is browner and looks to have antennae, and the other appears to have legs? I don’t want my other house plants to get infected! This moss was harvested from Pittsburgh, PA.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Worms Generally

Spiky, Black and Orange Caterpillar is an Acraea Butterfly Caterpillar

“I found this caterpillar in my garden (Western Cape, South Africa), but have had no luck identifying it”, writes Bradley in his submission regarding the striking, spiky, worm-like creature pictured below. “I tried the Seek app and it identified it as a Crimson Patch, but the colors don’t seem to match in any pictures I’ve seen. It is around an inch long and has distinct orange and black bands on its body. Is it indeed a Crimson Patch or is it something else?” Firstly, we want to compliment Bradley on the fantastic photo he sent in. It will be a welcome addition to our library of caterpillar and worm photos. Secondly, we also want to compliment him on doing his own research and coming up with excellent questions.

Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Big Pink Worm is an Immature Earthworm

“Are these earthworms?” asks Adam in his submission regarding the big, pink worm pictured below. Now, he refers to a multitude of worms, but only pictures one, but we assume that the other worms look like this one. And to answer his question, we do think that this is an earthworm. Its coloration, segmentation, and shape point to this conclusion. The one thing it is missing is the clitellum, a physical trait which is characteristic of earthworms. The clitellum is the band of thicker skin that encircles the worm’s body, usually near its head, sometimes near its center. It is usually a different color from the rest of its body.

Continue Reading
Posted in Grub Worms Interesting Bugs Worms Generally

Green and Black Organisms Likely Connected to Weevils or Leafcutter Bees

“Can you please identify these?” asks Shanan in her submission regarding two, green and black objects, as well as a bug-like organism, all pictured below. “I’ve been living this nightmare for three years now. I just assumed that they were fabric moths and carpet beetles in different stages. I live on an island off the southern tip of Georgia called Saint Simons Island.” At first glance, we can tell Shanan that these are not fabric moths (AKA “clothes moths”) or carpet beetles. We think the green objects could be the product of leafcutter bees, and that the bug is a weevil.

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Inch Worms Parasite Worms

Small Worm with Needle Tip Could be an Inchworm

“I have looked through your site and can’t find exactly what I’m having a problem with”, writes this reader regarding the tiny critter pictured below. “They look like worm-type things, but they are as small as a needle tip, probably one millimeter long, and they seem to appear out of nowhere. They don’t seem to move while I watch them, and one minute out of nowhere they appear on my body. I’ll include pictures for you below.” Right off the bat, we will have to point out that, because of how tiny the worm is, and how blurry the photo becomes when we try to zoom in on it, we will not be able to provide an identification that is 100% certain or accurate. We understand that, given the minuscule size of the worms, it would have been extremely difficult to photograph these creatures.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Parasite Worms Worms Found in the House

Tiny, White Worms Could be Flea Larvae or Fungus Gnat Larvae

“Is this a flea larva?” asks this reader about the array of worm-like critters pictured below. She does not include any more context, and the photo is quite blurry, so it will not be possible for us to give her a straight answer that is 100% certain or accurate. Of course, we will still do the best we can. Now, we assume that although she refers to a larva in the singular, she is actually referring to all of the organisms pictured below. If not, then we do not know which one she is referring to and wondering if it is a flea larva. But, since the organisms all look similar, we feel safe in assuming she is referring to them all. If that is not the case, she is welcome to let us know and resubmit a new photo with the one particular critter she is wondering about.

Continue Reading
Posted in Grub Worms Pest Worms Worms Generally

Yellow Worm in Dead Wood is a Wood Boring Beetle Larva

“What is this yellow worm that was found in dead mesquite wood when turning it on a lathe?” asks this reader about the wide-headed, worm-like creature pictured below. “It was about one inch long. There were probably 20 of these in a piece of wood, about one square foot big . The wood came from central Texas.” To start with, we want to thank our reader for the excellent photo she sent in, as well as the context; both of these factors together greatly contribute to making our job easier. With this information in hand, we can more efficiently identify the creatures we are asked about and answer the questions that our readers have!

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Inch Worms Worms Generally

Green Worm Dangling From Cap is an Inchworm

“What is this thin, small, brow/tan, almost greenish inch worm?” writes this reader about the worm-like organism pictured below. “Found it dangling off my cap on a some sort of thread I think, it moves pretty fast. From the US.” Thanks to our reader’s excellent photo and video, but mostly the fact that she names the organism herself, we can confirm that this is indeed an inchworm. Inchworms are any caterpillar of a group of moth species found in North America. They are all characterized by their number and placement of appendages: legs at the front and back, but not in the middle. Due to how the legs are positioned on the body, the inchworm moves as it does in the video: by reaching for something to grab onto with its prolegs, then arching its back while the hind legs catch up.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Parasite Worms Worms Generally

Translucent, Tiny Worm Could be a Fungus Gnat Larva or Flea Larva

“Do you have any idea what this could possibly be?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the minuscule, translucent, brown creature pictured below. “Watching it, it moves like a caterpillar or worm and will either stand up or put one side up and wiggle into the air. Thanks so much!” First of all, we have to point out the size of the creature. As we can see from the photo, it is very tiny. That tells us that this organism is probably at an early stage of maturation, which means a lot of its defining physical characteristics will not have developed yet. For that reason, whatever identification we end up making is not 100% certain. Secondly, the lack of context also makes it harder for us to say it is any one species for certain.

Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Pest Worms

Translucent Goo on Six Year-Old Peach Tree Turn is not Worms but Gummosis

“We have a six year-old peach tree”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the translucent organisms pictured below. “This is the first year that we’ve had any peaches. Some of them have things on them. Are they worms/larvae or sap? Thank you.” Now, after we did some sleuthing, we came to the conclusion that while these clear objects are the result of insect larvae, they are not the larvae themselves. Let us explain. Although we are no experts on gardening and fruit, we believe our reader’s peaches are experiencing trauma due being fed on by some type of insect.

Continue Reading
Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Dog Worms Grub Worms

Segmented, Brown Worm on Dog Toy is a Beetle Larva

“I found this grub/worm on a packaged stuffed dog toy I ordered online”, writes Sarah in her submission regarding the segmented, brown, worm-like creature pictured below. “It was stuck to the fabric on a white patch that looked a bit like egg sac remnants? There was only one that I could find. What is it?” Now, what caught us off guard about this creature at first were the six appendages sticking out from one end of the creature’s body. It took us a moment to realize that the critter was upside down, and that these were its prolegs! Once we gathered that, we figured it must be some type of beetle larva, as the body shape, segmentation, and presence of prolegs point to this conclusion.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Translucent Worm with Black Head in Terrarium are Fungus Gnat Larvae

“I’ve found this transparent worm in my terrarium after two months of setting it up”, writes Thomas about the near-transparent, worm-like creature pictured below. “It’s a closed terrarium and I sometimes open the lid for ventilation because of fog buildup. I’m living in Hong Kong and at the time of discovering this worm, it was winter, with temperatures around 12°C to 20°C. The worm appears to have a black head and is not moving at all. It measures around 1 to 1.5cm in length. Is this worm harmful to my plants? Why does it suddenly appear in my terrarium? The plants I used are all free from pests as they come from nurseries. Thank you.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Pink Worm on Bedroom Carpet is an Earthworm

“Why did I find a worm crawling on my carpet in my bedroom?” writes Elizabeth about the worm pictured below. “I live in Northern California and we’ve been having a lot of rain, but I don’t wear shoes in this room. There is a sliding glass door a few feet away, but it hasn’t been opened in weeks (it’s winter). I have two chihuahuas under 10lbs but there is no “accident” in the room. Is it a worm? It was moving kind of fast and also trying to dig its head in the carpet. Thank you.” To answer Elizabeth’s second question, this is indeed a worm. In fact, this is an earthworm. We can tell by its pink coloration, segmentation, and the clitellum encircling its middle.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Grub Worms Worms Generally

Plump White Worm in Compost Pile is a Rose Chafer Grub

“I found several of these in my Tucson, AZ compost pile and in my raised bed garden”, writes Dave about the white, worm-like creature pictured below. “Stretched out, it’s a plump two-inches long. It has translucent, grey-white skin (curiously dirt doesn’t stick to the skin) and a dark inner mass at the tail end. It looks similar to the wood boring beetle larvae posted earlier. My question is, should I worry about this critter eating my plants or destroying their roots. Thanks for maintaining your site.” Well, firstly, we want to thank David for submitting to our site! It is because we get submissions like these that we are able to keep it running. Secondly, we want to thank him for the absolutely excellent photo he sent in.

Continue Reading
Posted in Garden Worms Inch Worms Worms Generally

Black Caterpillars Spinning Silk are Inchworms

“I saw you have an article about the little black worms/caterpillars with long thread silk and I have a video of what I think is the same thing”, writes Alicia regarding the minuscule, black organism pictured below. “Could you please tell me how to get rid of them and what they are? I am in Perth.” We are not sure what article Alicia refers to, but regardless, we have identified this as an inchworm. The video gives it away: inchworms have a unique way of moving around which is a product of their anatomy. Inchworms have prolegs and rear legs, but not legs in the middle of their body. For that reason, the middle of their back arches as they ‘inch’ forward. They will also typically lift their entire front body (like in the video) and swivel it around as they try to redirect themselves.