Frank Ashwood

Have you ever thought to yourself "I sure do love earthworms, but I just wish they were smaller"? If the answer to that was yes, then Potworms (Enchytraeidae) are for you!

Potworms are basically just scaled-down versions of their earthworm relatives, and occur in large numbers in habitats that tend to be less hospitable to earthworms, such as very acidic coniferous forest soils.

#SoilBiodiversity #SoilFauna #Earthworm #Potworm #Enchytraeidae #MacroPhotography #Macro #MacroFauna #SoilEcology

Jan 10, 2023 at 9:23pmWeb
Show threadllewellyJan 10, 2023
@frankashwood
they're transparent! Why are they transparent?
Show threadFrank AshwoodJan 10, 2023
@llewelly No need for skin pigmentation where they live, would be my guess! It’s pretty cool to be able to see their gut contents, eh?
Show threadneville parkJan 10, 2023
@frankashwood is that what they are??
Show threadFrank AshwoodJan 10, 2023
@nev yep, they’re in the Class Clitellata and Subclass Oligochaeta with earthworms, but diverge from there. They really do resemble small pale earthworms, and function fairly similarly in the environment (although on land they’re mainly found in high-organic situations rather than in mineral soil)
Show threadIan RamjohnJan 10, 2023
@frankashwood Never heard of them. I've been missing out!
Show threadLive, Laugh, LovecraftJan 11, 2023
@frankashwood They're cute!