Earthworm

Follow a burrowing earthworm seeking soil's moisture to protect its oxygen-collecting skinSee all videos for this article

Investigate how muscles in the body wall and small bristles enable earthworms to move through soilSee all videos for this article

earthworm, also called angleworm, any one of more than 1,800 species of terrestrial worms of the class Oligochaeta (phylum Annelida)—in particular, members of the genus Lumbricus. Seventeen native species and 13 introduced species (from Europe) occur in the eastern United States, L. terrestris being the most common. Earthworms occur in virtually all soils of the world in which the moisture and organic content are sufficient to sustain them. One of the most detailed studies of earthworm activities was conducted by English naturalist Charles Darwin.

Members of one Australian species can grow as long as 3.3 metres (about 11 feet). L. terrestris grows to about 25 centimetres (10 inches). This species is reddish brown, but some earthworms (e.g., Allolobophora chlorotica, native to Great Britain) are green. The reddish tinge of L. terrestris results from the presence of the pigment hemoglobin in its blood.

The earthworm body is divided into ringlike segments (as many as 150 in L. terrestris). Some internal organs, including the excretory organs, are duplicated in each segment. Between segments 32 and 37 is the clitellum, a slightly bulged, discoloured organ that produces a cocoon for enclosing the earthworm’s eggs. The body is tapered at both ends, with the tail end the blunter of the two. Earthworms cannot see or hear, but they are sensitive to both light and vibrations.

Their food consists of decaying plants and other organisms; as they eat, however, earthworms also ingest large amounts of soil, sand, and tiny pebbles. It has been estimated that an earthworm ingests and discards its own weight in food and soil every day.

Earthworms are hermaphroditic; i.e., functional reproductive organs of both sexes occur in the same individual. The eggs of one individual, however, are fertilized by the sperm of another individual. During mating two earthworms are bound together by a sticky mucus while each transfers sperm to the other. The worms separate and form cocoons; the cocoon moves forward, picking up eggs at the 14th segment; at the 9th and 10th segments it picks up the sperm deposited by the other earthworm. The cocoon slides over the head, and fertilization takes place. Within 24 hours after the worms mate, the cocoon is deposited in the soil.

Miniature earthworms usually emerge from the cocoon after two to four weeks. They become sexually mature in 60 to 90 days and attain full growth in about one year.

Earthworms usually remain near the soil surface, but they are known to tunnel as deep as 2 m during periods of dryness or in winter. One Asian species is known to climb trees to escape drowning after heavy rainfall.

Earthworms provide food for a large variety of birds and other animals. Indirectly they provide food for humans by assisting plant growth. Earthworms aerate the soil, promote drainage, and draw organic material into their burrow. This last service accelerates the decomposition of organic matter and produces more nutritive materials for growing plants. Earthworms also serve as fish bait; hence, the name angleworm.