Lumbricus Terrestris

Lumbricus terrestris, formally described by Linnaeus in 1758 and known in Britain as the common earthworm or lob worm and in North America as the nightcrawler or Canadian nightcrawler, is a large reddish earthworm in the family Lumbricidae, thought to originate in Western Europe and since spread widely around the world, sometimes as an invasive species. It typically measures 110 to 200 millimeters long and 7 to 10 millimeters across, pinkish to reddish-brown with roughly 120 to 170 body segments. As a deep-burrowing anecic earthworm it digs vertical burrows, surfaces to feed on dead leaves and other organic matter, and mixes soil layers through its casting, significantly shaping soil structure and plant growth.