Land Mollusks and Worms - native

Land Mollusk or Worm (unknown species) (various) on Jul 27, 2021

Originally reported as Crazy Snake Worm (jumping worm) (Amynthas spp.)

Submitter has sample

Description of specimen

Not certain, but I believe it might be. Very small and thin, about 2 inches long. They come out when I water my garden, but I don't see them when I dig.

Commentary

Thank you for your report! I'm not sure from the photos that these are jumping worms, my initial gut feeling is that they are not but it's hard to get a good look at all the features. I've provided some links to guides on identification below.

There are more than 10 species in North American commerce and only one has been documented in Oregon, so we are interested in getting specimens to try and keep track of species present. If you're able to compare your worms with the guides below and think they fit the description of jumping worms, and if you are able to take a specimen (collect in a water-tight container with isopropyl alcohol) I can tell you where to send it in to the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture.

Eliminating jumping worms entirely may not be feasible, but there are some things you can try. Worms can't survive soils that are heated to 104 degrees F or higher, so composting soils can kill them, or tarping soil in direct sunlight. Pouring dilute mustard Mix 1 gallon of water with 1/3 cup of ground yellow mustard seed and pouring slowly into the soil will cause worms to rise to the surface, but isn't an effective treatment as you're not going to catch all of them or remove cocoons in this way. The resources for these tips are at https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/103692 and https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sites/seagrant.oregonstate.edu/files/jumping_worm_outreach_material.pdf.

Thank you for sharing your report, this helps us understand the distribution and spread of invasive species!- Lindsey

Lindsey Wise
July 29, 2021, 8:16 a.m.