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Posted in Caterpillars Inch Worms

Moth Larvae “Take Over” Reader’s Car

One of our readers found a ton of small worm-like organisms in her car. We are confident these are moth larvae. They are not harmful or dangerous and she can get rid of them by cleaning!

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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.

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Posted in Inch Worms

Inchworms and the Trees They Attack

Inchworms move in a very distinctive style and have voracious appetites. These caterpillars are fond of deciduous trees including apple, maple, and oak.

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Posted in Garden Worms

Fungus Gnat Larvae

A reader shared a video of fungus gnat larvae she found in her front yard. Although the sight of these creatures is alarming, there are natural ways to get rid of them!

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Posted in Garden Worms Grub Worms Pest Worms

Grub Worms

Grub worms, with their white C-shaped bodies, are lawn pests that are difficult to eradicate. In the larvae, or grub stage, grub worms feast on the turf’s root system.

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Posted in Garden Worms Interesting Worms Wooly Bear Worms

The Woolly Worm Festival (a/k/a Wooly Worm Festival)

The Woolly Worm festival (sometimes spelled as “Wooly Worm” festival) draws 25,000 Woolly Worm enthusiasts annually to Banner Elk, North Carolina to see these fuzzy, woolly worms (actually caterpillars) race.

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Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Earthworms

So you think all earthworms are the same? Think again! There are 4400 known species of earthworms on our planet!

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Posted in Earthworms Garden Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

10 Great Earth Worm Facts

These ten great earthworm facts will convince you that the earthworm is an amazing creature. Test your own knowledge against these 10 great earth worm facts!

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Posted in Garden Worms Inch Worms Pest Worms

The Inch Worm (Inchworm)

The inchworm, also known as “inch worm”, is the larva of the moth family Geometridae. The inch worm, although cute, is considered a garden pest.

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Posted in Garden Worms Pest Worms Wax Worms

Wax Worms

Wax worms are a destructive pest. Wax worms are also a delicious treat. It all depends on your point of view.

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Posted in Garden Worms Glow Worms

The Glow Worm (a/k/a Glow-Worm)

The glow worm is actually not a worm at all. The glow-worm is a beetle, although female glow worms never progress past larval stage, and as they are the ones that glow, people mistake them for worms.

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Posted in Garden Worms Meal Worms Pest Worms

Meal Worms

Meal worms are among the most common worms in the home, both as they eat through your pantry, and as meal worms are used as food for pet lizards and fish.

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Posted in Bag Worms Garden Worms

Bag Worms

Bag worms can be a real garden pest if not kept under control. The good news is that it is possible to keep bag worms under control with just a bit of diligence.

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Posted in Composting Worms Garden Worms Red Worms

Red Worms: Great for Vermiculture!

Red worms are among some of the best worms for composting, which is also known as “vermiculture”.

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Posted in Tomato Worm

Tomato Worm Suits

The Tomato Worm suit is a nickname for a particular type of space suit invented in the 1940s. Tomato Worm suits provided a range of motion previously unavailable with pressurized space suits.

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Posted in Garden Worms Tomato Worm

The Tomato Worm (Tomato Hornworm)

The Tomato Worm, also known as the Tomato Hornworm or Horn Worm, isn’t really a worm at all. Tomato Worms are actually caterpillars, with stripes and a “horn” on one end.

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Posted in Garden Worms Grub Worms Worms Generally

Grubs on Dining Room Floor are Acorn Weevil Larvae

“What is this worm that I keep finding on my dining room floor?” asks Stacey in her submission regarding the white worm pictured below. “We have looked and can’t find them anywhere, but all of a sudden we find them in the morning and we clean them up. And when we get home in the afternoon we find a couple more.” Based on the excellent photo Stacey sent in, we think she found an acorn weevil larva. Acorn weevils are brown beetles that bore holes through acorns to lay their eggs inside. Once they hatch, the larvae will eat the insides of the acorns until they fall from the tree, after which the larvae will bore a new hole through the acorns to exit from, and consequently tunnel into the soil to pupate (the process of metamorphosing into the adult insect).

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Posted in Caterpillars Inch Worms Worms Generally

Black Worm with Curved Back is an Inchworm

“What is this guy?” is all Brooke asks in her submission regarding the black, worm-like creature pictured below. It has an arched back and bulbous head, which tells us that this is an inchworm. Usually it is much harder to identify organisms without more context, or without a clearer photo, but the shape of this creature is so specific to inchworms that we knew it had to be one. Inchworms have legs at the front and back of their body, which forces them to curve their back in this way as they ‘inch’ their way forward.

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Posted in Grub Worms Worms Facts Worms Generally

Velvety, Black, Worm-like Creatures in Apartment are Soldier Beetle Larvae

“I keep finding this worm around my apartment”, writes Alyssa in her submission regarding the segmented, velvety black, worm-like critter pictured below. “It first started by finding them by the front door then I found one in the kitchen one day, one in the living room and now two by/in my bedroom. The living room and bedroom are carpeted, the kitchen is not and neither is by the front door. They are about an inch in length and I usually find them curled up in a circle. I am a pretty clean person and clean once a week so I’m unsure why I’ve been finding these for the past week or so. I’d like to get rid of them for good but am not sure what they are! Help!”

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Posted in Garden Worms Interesting Worms Worms Facts

Tubular, Orange ‘Worms’ are Actually Mushrooms

“At least, I think they are worms”, writes Jay in his submission regarding the tubular, orange objects pictured below. “They are in my garden, and clearly invertebrate. I’m in south-central Wisconsin, north of Madison by about 1/2 hour drive.” We have certainly never seen worms that look like these. At first sight, we thought of carrots, albeit hollow carrots. But these are clearly not carrots. That said, they are also not worms. They are actually a species of fungus called Mutinus elegans. These guys have many nicknames, including elegant stinkhorn, dog stinkhorn, headless stinkhorn, and much more.