“I’m a wildlife carer and currently have two baby noisy miners. Today I found the photographed larvae (?) in their nest”, writes Lee in her submission regarding the translucent creature with dark entrails pictured below. “Was hoping to find out what it is.” For context for our other readers, a noisy miner is a type of bird endemic to Australia. It is very pretty, with grey, white, and yellow markings, and is named after its noisy nature. From the photo alone, we are not sure what these creatures are that Lee found, though we do agree that they are probably larvae of some kind, given their shape and general physical appearance.

“Can you identify these larvae or worms?” asks Lisa in her submission regarding the white, worm-like creature pictured below. “They were laid on my roller blinds. I’ve been experiencing bites and I’m trying to find the source. Thank you kindly for your time.” Firstly, we must point out that, due to the picture being somewhat blurry, we will not be able to identify the worm with 100% certainty or accuracy. All we can go on from the picture is the worm’s coloration and general shape: no other identifying information is visible, unfortunately. Secondly, we will also not be able to identify the worm based on the fact that Lisa has been experiencing bites, and any suggestions we make as to the identify of the worm will ignore this piece of context.

“I found this worm, see attached image, when cleaning up a mess my dog made, poop,” writes Brandon in his submission regarding the teeny tiny worm-like critter pictured below. “It was mostly liquid and I’m not sure if it was in my dog’s faeces or if it was just nearby. I do not know what kind of worm or larva this is. Description: translucent, dark spots on both ends. About three sets of legs located near its head.” Based on Brandon’s description of the creature, as well as what we saw when we zoomed in on it, we think he has found himself a beetle larva.

“This is really bizarre”, writes Sergio about the horde of worms he found inside a light fixture in his eight-floor apartment in Portugal. “I was recovering a room that was not used for many years. The ceiling light was out, so I dismounted the fixture and a lot of dirt was inside (possible biomass, in retrospect). I washed it all out, replaced the light bulb, mounted the fixture and I had light in that room again. A few weeks later I turned on the light and within a few minutes a worm fell from the ceiling. I discarded the worm down the toilet and didn’t think much of it until I caught movement in the light, and I found what you see in the video below. I’m sorry that I didn’t have the balls to dismount it and give a closer look but I’m kinda freaked out, especially because once I unscrew it they’ll start falling through the middle. Any idea what might be going on here? I took this video two weeks after the finding and they’re still moving once I turn on the light. I was hoping they’d die before I took it apart but it’s taking quite a while. I don’t see any opening but one fell through somehow so there should be one. Any idea what that might be? Are those larvae of something bigger or are those the final forms themselves? Is food getting in there? Are they eating each other to survive this long? Did some bug get in there and lay a bunch of eggs or is it possible that the eggs were in there the whole time and when I replaced the bulb they hatched with the heat? Can eggs survive for many years? I’m so confused. Here’s a video: https://youtube.com/shorts/1fQh6eDm1Dg”

“What the heck is this?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the long line of worm-like creatures crawling on top of each other in the picture below. “I found them on an outdoor rug in the morning in Northern Virginia. What our reader found on his rug is what is referred to as a ‘fungus gnat snake’. Clearly, this is not an actual snake, but it is a horde of fungus gnat larvae. These are the youngest form of the fungus gnat, which is a species of fly that, like most species of flies, feeds on rotting organic matter, as do their larvae. They can usually be found in compost bins when the matter inside has been left for a significant amount of time to rot.

“Are these worms in this tree and this black stuff on a rock wall?” asks this reader about the mass of organisms pictured below. “It is from Mansfield, Ohio. Thank you for your time!” Based on the photo, this is nothing we think we have encountered before. The black organisms on the rock do not necessarily look like worms to us, and we cannot make out what organisms we are supposed to be looking at on the tree. Upon zooming in on the photo of the rock, it looks like the organisms could possess wings. That said, the photo makes it difficult to see the details of the organisms’ bodies, so this is merely an educated guess. In any case, we think these could be black bean aphids (otherwise known as blackflies). Usually, they are found swarming plants that they suck the sap from.

“What kind of worm moves together in a braided type circle?” asks this reader in her submission concerning the horde of worms pictured below. “This was found on my driveway in North Myrtle Beach, SC.” We have to say, this is one of the most fascinating submissions we have received from a reader. Especially when looking at the video she sent in (linked below), which shows how the worms writhe and slither over each other in this circle. The act of going round and round in circles is odd, but the pile-up of worms is not for this species of fly, namely the fungus gnat (or ‘sciarid fly’).

A 1/2-inch worm was found in a glass of water by this man in Albuquerque, NM. From the excellent images sent in, we can see that the worm in question is of a grayish/tan color, is segmented, has six forelegs, eight back legs, and a bulbous black head.