‘Bizarre’ invasive jumping worm squirms its way into N.S. for the first time

Scientists say the Asian jumping worm is hard to eradicate and can harm the local ecosystem. The Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council is asking plant owners to keep an eye out.

At first glance, it looks like your run-of-the-mill earthworm.

But pick it up or watch one after it’s been disturbed — and you’ll see it thrashing and jumping about.

“They will jump around, wiggle, and squirm in a way that is just bizarre if you have never witnessed it before,” said Kristen Noel, council supervisor with the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council.

For the first time, the invasive Asian jumping worm has been discovered in Nova Scotia.

It was found in a tropical houseplant purchased last month in the Halifax area by a graduate student, who incidentally studies earthworms.

Stephen Paterson, a master’s of science student at Saint Mary’s University, said while he’s “travelled great distances” studying non-native earthworms, he had no idea an invasive species was living in the soil of his own house plant.

“I noticed an earthworm poking its head out of the soil one morning and, being an earthworm researcher, dug it out to see what species it was,” he said.

“The worm was a juvenile and couldn’t be identified, but once I had it in my hand it started squirming wildly which made me realize this was likely a jumping worm species.”