“Are these crane fly larvae, or horse-leeches?” asks Jonathan about the black, worm-like creature pictured below. “I’m in western NC. These guys are about a ¼-inch long. Closest I could find on my own research are the two stated above. Thank you for your time!” After doing some sleuthing of our own, we have always come to similar conclusions as Jonathan – this does resemble crane fly larvae somewhat (though this creature is a little darker than most crane fly larvae), and it does look like a horse leech (though not as slimy, but that could be due to drying out). In addition to these two creatures, we thought this looked like it could be a lugworm or a stick-resembling caterpillar such as the Geometer moth caterpillar.
The reason we have so many possibilities and no certain conclusion is for two reasons: 1) The picture is unfortunately not taken in the best lighting, meaning we cannot see the finer details of the creature’s physical attributes. 2) Jonathan does not provide us with a lot of context. If we knew where the caterpillar was found, how it was moving, if it was munching on anything, and how many he found, that would have helped us greatly in narrowing down the possibilities. In any case, we will consider all the possibilities and see if we can narrow it down to a ‘most likely’.
To start with, crane fly larvae always take us by surprise when we remind ourselves of what they look like. The larvae are thick, segmented worm-like creatures, while the adult crane fly is a stick-thin critter that is often mistaken for a daddy long legs spider. Many people just think they are flying daddy long legs or giant mosquitoes, and we can’t blame them – they do look like both of these creatures. As we said before though, crane fly larvae tend to be lighter in color, usually in the grayish-brown zone, so we do not think this is a crane fly larva.
That said, horse-leeches are black in color, though they can also be yellow. If he found the creature in or near a source of freshwater, this could be a possibility. The same goes for the lugworm, which is an aquatic worm. This would only be either of the two species if it was found near a source of water. In the case that it is a leech (cause it may very well be a different species of leech), we advise Jonathan that he avoid physical contact with it, as leeches are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of mammals. Now, it could be a stick-resembling caterpillar, of which there are many species. We haven’t personally seen any black ones, but that does not mean they do not exist. The reason we thought this could be a stick-resembling caterpillar is because of this strange appendage sticking out from one end of its body, which is somewhat twig-like.
In conclusion, out of all the possibilities, we think it is most likely that this is some type of caterpillar, perhaps a stick-resembling one. That is, unless Jonathan found this creature in or near a source of water, then it could be a leech or lugworm. We would need more context to know for sure. In any case, we recommend avoiding physical contact just to be safe; even if he concludes that it is not a leech, unforeseen allergic reactions can occur from unknown organisms. We hope this helps, and we wish Jonathan the very best!
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