“My children found this worm on our driveway in west Tennessee”, writes Heather in her submission regarding the dark brown, segmented worm-like organism pictured below. “Can you help me identify it? Its underside was slightly lighter colored, kind of flattened, and it had a disk-like foot structure (possibly) at one end. Thank you.” Firstly, we want to thank Heather for the fantastic photos. The good lighting and sharp details make our job so much easier, and provides a great resource for others who find similar-looking organisms and want to know what they are. Secondly, whoever’s finger is in the photo below is very lucky, because what Heather’s children found is a leech.

“What is this worm?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the little, brownish worm pictured below. “Found among algae in the backyard koi pond in northern Illinois. Travels by attaching (perhaps by suction) one end and feeling around with the other. Can stretch to well over 4 times its resting length. Seeks air if submerged. Appears to be slightly flat. Was discovered clinging to hand. Found today. No discernible segmentation.” The thing that caught our eye in the excellent photo our reader sent in is the flattish part at one end of its body, which we assume to be its head. This is likely the part that it uses to “attach” itself to things and move along using, as our reader stated, “suction”. Based on this, as well as its appearance, we are inclined to say that this is likely a leech.

We believe the small black organisms our reader found in her pond are either leeches or black fly larvae. Both are similar in appearance, though leeches are slightly bigger, and both are commonly found in ponds. Neither species are considered invasive and neither should damage her pond or cause any problems with the fish!

We received a very interesting question from a reader in Germany about a worm that may have bitten her mother’s arm – or “sucked upon” her mother’s arm – while she slept. The reader referred to the worm as “limb boring,” which is fitting since the worm evidently did some damage to her mother’s arm, producing an open wound about the size of a 5 pence coin (which is about the size of a dime). The reader initially didn’t believe her mother, thinking she must be mistaken about what happened, but this Christmas she visited her mom, who showed her the scar from the worm bite. Moreover, the reader found a dried worm in a vent near her mother’s bedroom, and the vent was spattered with dry blood. The reader is now unsure what to think, and wrote to us to see if her mother’s story about the biting worm is at all possible.

A reader wrote to us about a rash her son has in response to what is believed to be a leech bite. She found what looked like a leech on her son’s PE kit after rugby practice, and it was at this time that she noticed his skin reaction, which began as a red spot, and then spread into an itchy rash that covered parts of his body, arms, and legs. The reader has already sought medical help, and her son has been prescribed antibiotics. She only wrote to us to ask if we have ever heard of this sort of skin reaction occurring in response to a leech bite, and also to determine if what she found was in fact a leech.

A reader wrote to us a few days ago about some small black worms she found at the bottom of her kids’ laundry basket. She also found a couple more worms when transferring their clothes from the washing machine to the drier, so the worms can evidently be traced back to the clothing of her children. The reader was wondering what these black worms in the laundry basket are, and we think they might be leeches (which are actually worms) or potentially slugs (which aren’t worms).

A reader sent us a picture of two smooth, black, worm-like creatures that he found by a swimming pool, which he thought might be leeches. The leeches, if they are leeches, were on a ledge right on the side of the pool, a little above the water line. They reader said they moved very slow by expanding and contracting, and that they are black on top, but a lighter, tan or brownish color on the bottom. The reader was only wondering if he found leeches, so we’ll limit ourselves to the matter of identification. Did our reader find leeches by the pool?

A little while back, we received a very detailed email from a reader about a worm, or what is believed to be a worm, that he encountered. The reader described his situation in some detail: he was sitting on his porch, which is enclosed by screens, when he felt as if he was being bitten on his arm. In response, he examined his arm and found what appeared to be a very small thread. However, the “thread” moved, becoming longer and then contracting again. Because of this movement, the reader concluded that he had come across an extremely small worm. Later, the reader found a few additional tiny worms on his arms and legs.