Earthworm Information

The humble earthworm: memento mori extraordinaire: "Remember that thou shalt die." The Conqueror Worm, devourer of prince and peasant.  Metaphor for the frailty of the flesh, subverter of monuments, leveler of empires. Emblem of the vanity, the evanescence, and the end of all human endeavour. And yet, paradoxically, this earthworm, this great destroyer, is also a great builder- a builder of fertile topsoil, itself the sustainer of all civilization.

To learn more about this paradoxical critter, follow the links below. We have included several newsletter and review articles, profiles of eight key species of earthworm, images, and links to other web sites with information about earthworms.

Articles

• Earthworms: Renewers of Agroecosystems
  Matthew R. Werner, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, UC Santa Cruz
  Robert L. Bugg, UC SAREP
  
  
• Earthworm ecology and sustaining agriculture
  Matthew R. Werner, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, UC Santa Cruz
  
  
• Earthworm Update
  Robert L. Bugg, UC SAREP
  
  
• Earthworm Profiles
  Robert L. Bugg, UC SAREP
  

Species Profiles (some with images) Allolobophora chlorotica (Savigny) (Lumbricidae) Amynthas diffringens (Baird) (Megascolecidae) Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugés) (Lumbricidae) Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen) (Lumbricidae) Eisenia foetida (Savigny) (Lumbricidae) Lumbricus terrestris L. (Lumbricidae) Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister) (Lumbricidae) Microscolex dubius (Fletcher) (Megascolecidae)

Other Links

• Earthworm Biology and Production
  
• Worm Digest