“What are these?” is all this reader asks about the small, black worm-like organisms pictured below. They appear to have bulbous black heads and prolegs, and are very minuscule in size.

Despite the lack of context, from the pictures alone we can tell that this is probably an inchworm. Also known as measuring worms, inchworms are any species of moth caterpillar that belongs to the family Geometridae.

These caterpillars are characterized by their possession of legs at the back and front of their bodies, which forces them to arch their bodies as they ‘inch’ across a surface. This motion has also been described as ‘looping’, giving them their other name, ‘loopers’. There are over 1200 species of inchworms that are endemic to North America.

Given that the term ‘inchworm’ describes such a large group of caterpillars, there are not many other characteristics that one can attribute to all of them.

That said, what we can say is that they are not harmful to humans or pets, so our reader needs not worry about that. In particular, an inchworm of this size will not be able to pose much of a problem, even if they were to infest our reader’s home: simply moving them outside by scooping them all up on a dustpan and vacuuming her home should suffice in dealing with them.

Of course, that is not to say that our reader is experiencing an infestation. Since we did not get any context, it is impossible for us to know just how many inchworms she is dealing with in the first place. Likewise, it also makes it difficult for us to know what kind of help we can offer.

With that in mind, if she does want to know anything else about inchworms, or she thinks she might be experiencing an infestation, and she wants more help from us, she is welcome to send us more context. Otherwise, there is not much else to say.

In conclusion, the tiny black worm-like critters our reader is asking about are likely inchworms. They are not harmful, and do not tend to intentionally infest homes. We hope this article proves helpful and we wish our reader the very best!

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