They die in the fall, but leave tiny cocoons that spend the winter in the soil.Īnd they can be spread readily by human habits. The introduction of a single individual is enough to launch a jumping worm invasion. They’re parthenogenetic: they can reproduce without fertilization. Murder Hornets? Here Are 5 Other Scary Invasive InsectsĪs with so many invasive species, they’re adaptable and difficult to stop.Death and Drama Among the Cicada Killers.In short, the jumping worm could have profound effects on the overall forest ecosystem. And that soil also disrupts the relationships between fungi and trees. The altered soil is inhospitable to many native plant species. They thus can inhibit the establishment of tree seedlings. When jumping worms quickly turn leaves into very loose soil (resembling coffee grounds), they deprive trees of essential nutrients. Trees need long-lasting sources of nutrients. That leaf litter provides essential nutrients to the forest. But the jumping worm actually lives in the topmost layer of the forest floor - amongst the fallen leaves and other material that cover the soil. You probably think of earthworms as living underground. “We think the changes to native habitats will be similar to other earthworms but even more dynamic,” says Herrick. The jumping worm, if established in the Upper Midwest, brings new threats.

“When they are introduced, they make a host of physical, chemical and biological changes to the soil environment.”Įssentially, worms turn the forest floor - a complex community of plants, invertebrates and microbes – into a completely different habitat. “Earthworms change the environment to suit their needs,” says Brad Herrick, ecologist and research program program manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. This may be good in your backyard garden plot, but it’s not in the northern forest. The hype is true: earthworms cycle through a lot of refuse, and fundamentally change the soil. The common nightcrawler - familiar to anyone who has ever cast a bobber and hook - is a European species.Įarthworms have also spread into the northern habitats where worms have been absent for thousands of years. Even areas with native earthworms have largely been taken over by non-native varieties. And so the worms have been spread far and wide. They indeed use them by the millions for fishing, and for composting, and to help gardens grow. As such, forests and other habitats have evolved without them.īut people love earthworms. Overlooked in all this earthworm love is an important fact: in a significant portion of the North American continent, no native earthworms have existed since before the Ice Age. The humble earthworm is a creature to celebrate. You probably learned about the wonders of earthworms at an early age. Why are they so damaging? And is there anything we can do to stop them? Why Much of What You Know About Earthworms is Wrong

In the forests and prairies of the Upper Midwest, the jumping worm could significantly alter habitats and decrease biodiversity. In 2013, species from the genus Amynthas were confirmed for the first time in the Upper Midwest, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. Jumping worms, consisting of various non-native species from multiple genera, have become established in a number of eastern and southeastern states. Try to catch it, a piece of its tail will detach in your hand - still wriggling as you hold it.īut put aside the creepy factor: jumping worms may be the next big threat to northern forests. Disturb a jumping worm and it’s like a nightcrawler on steroids: It violently writhes on the forest floor, recalling a snake in a bad horror movie.

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