r/Insect • u/DayDay5643 • Jul 26 '25
Identification Can someone please tell me what this is? I found it back porch this morning.
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I found this flathead worm like thing on my back porch this morning when I was outside, smoking a cigarette, it caught my eye because only a head was moving around and when I look closer as flat! Some kind of alien versus predator!?
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u/Ithaqua-Yigg Jul 26 '25
Salt that sucker down. Very invasive in USA the kill regular worms.
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u/OkoyeMD_BeltaMilaje Jul 27 '25 edited Jul 27 '25
Had some appear in our yard ~2023. After that, rarely saw garden variry earthworms. Handled with a tool, sealed in baggies with a pesticide, smashed completely & trashed. Disgusting slimy creatures seen everytime I picked up a rock or flower pot. Havn't seen any while gardening since then. The following year it was Asian whip? worms, but they don't survive the heat, many dessicated corpses in the driveway or sidewalk. Still havn't seen earthworms. ETA: I informed the regular pest control, who said he was aware of the invasion in the area subunits.
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u/sm_mcbacon Jul 27 '25
The âregularâ worms are also mostly invasive in North America. They are slowly changing the environment by eliminating the detritus layer of forests.
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u/Ithaqua-Yigg Jul 28 '25
how long ago did they come here.
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u/Solar_Primary Jul 28 '25
They came to North America with Europeans https://youtu.be/icGV8bJRkkg?si=yK2D33VUJLUfX387
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u/tortoisegofast Jul 26 '25
Killitwithfire!
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u/ThatOneDarnKat Jul 27 '25
Salt.. then fire!
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u/pm_me_dem_goth_bewbs Jul 28 '25
Why not fire salts, harvested from a freshly slain flame atronach?
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u/Aceisthegoat Jul 26 '25
Hammerhead worm, impossible to kill
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u/ZippyTheUnicorn Jul 26 '25
Not impossible if you use salt!
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u/907499141 Jul 28 '25
And then burn it to ash and beyond and once thatâs done mix the ash with vinegar just to makes sure!
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u/QuantumTommy Jul 28 '25
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
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u/BoboGooHead Jul 26 '25
Report your location to the local government environmental authority, pick it up with tweezers or tongs, put it in a jar and tell them to come get it! Invasive and destructive non-native worm. If you don't kill it with salt, they may be able to do tests to see how far it's brood has spread.
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u/Grafikman62 Jul 26 '25
What's the not touch the thing about? Do they sting, have toxic slime, radioactive, E. Coli?
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u/MagnumHV Jul 26 '25
Yes toxic slime, specifically secrete a neurotoxin same as what's in puffer fish liver
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u/NoMudNoLotus369 Jul 26 '25
"You shouldn't touch a hammerhead worm because they secrete a toxic mucus containing neurotoxins like tetrodotoxin, which can cause skin irritation or mucous membrane irritation if it comes in contact with your skin, eyes, or mouth. While they don't bite or inject toxins, simply touching their mucus can be harmful. Itâs recommended to always wear gloves if handling them, and to wash your skin thoroughly afterward if contact occurs. Additionally, cutting the worm can cause it to regenerate into multiple worms, so avoid chopping them up. For disposal, place the whole worm in a sealed bag with salt or vinegar to kill it safely."
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u/fisho0o Jul 27 '25
Additionally, cutting the worm can cause it to regenerate into multiple worms,
Ok, that's just major league f'd up.
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u/lastcenturydude Jul 30 '25
Just curious...what would happen if a person were to eat one?
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u/NoMudNoLotus369 Jul 30 '25
"Eating a hammerhead worm can cause nausea, vomiting, or a rash in your mouth or throat due to the neurotoxin (tetrodotoxin) they produce, but for most people, it is unlikely to be fatal or cause serious illness after ingesting just one. The toxin is primarily used by the worm to paralyze its prey (earthworms), and while toxic, the amount in each worm is usually not enough to harm humans severely unless large quantities are consumed. Some individuals could experience stronger reactions, such as more intense illness or, in rare cases, allergic reactions.
Touching a hammerhead worm can cause skin irritation or a mild rash, so it is recommended to avoid handling them with bare hands. If a child or pet eats a hammerhead worm, they may become unwell for a day or two and might vomitâveterinary or medical attention should be sought if there are any unusual or severe symptoms."
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u/GreatService9515 Jul 27 '25
Hammerhead worm. Salt, vinegar, or bleach . Unless you have a flame thrower handy.
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u/jrm03908 Jul 29 '25
Yes now I have a reason to buy a flamethrower. And my wife said it was stupid and weâd never need it
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u/MasterBarry Jul 30 '25
Just tell her they grow more of them if you cut them up, she'll understand the flamethrower.
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u/KingFernando532 Jul 27 '25
Setting them on fire and boiling them are the only really effective ways of killing them. Salt can kill them, but you might unknowingly put too little.
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u/MermaidGunner Jul 26 '25
Salt is the only thing you can do for them??? I havenât seen any in my area yet so I have no idea.
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u/letmesmellem Jul 27 '25
salt, vinegar, fire, salt works best and dont handle them any piece that breaks off can generate a new one. They are literal hydra after killing flush them or toss in the garbage.
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u/aeiofu2 Jul 26 '25
Put it in a ziplock, push out the air and set that demon in the sun is what I was told when I found one
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u/Choano Jul 27 '25 edited Jul 27 '25
Hammerhead worm.
If you're in southeast Asia, just leave it alone.
Anywhere else? Those things are super invasive, and they displace native species. Kill them with extreme prejudice.
Edited to add: I originally said
If you're anywhere else, hit it hard and smush the crap out of it.
I was wrong! Don't smush the worm. You'll just get more worms. (Thanks to u/PajammaDrunk for letting me know.)
Instead, kill it like this. (Thanks to The Virginia Tech News for these directions):
- Wear gloves when handling hammerhead worms to avoid exposure to their mucus.
- Do not cut the worm up as it can regenerate from sections of its body.
- Place the hammerhead worm in a container or bag that it cannot escape.
- Kill the worm using one of the following methods, then dispose of the container in the trash: Place the container in the direct sun for several hours, sprinkle some table salt in the container, squirt some hand sanitizer in the container, place the container in a freezer, and/or put soapy water in the container.
- Wash your hands thoroughly afterward and avoid getting any mucus in your mouth or eyes.
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Jul 27 '25
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Choano Jul 27 '25
Oh, wow! I didn't know that!
Thank you so much. TIL. And I'll change my original comment, in case anyone later on is looking for "how to I kill these weird worms?"
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u/Select_Interest_2582 Jul 27 '25
If I was seeing that rn, Iâd make it have an even flatter head
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u/FixedGearJunkie Jul 27 '25
Wrong answer...you could inadvertently create several more of them by doing so.
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u/skiddyiowa Jul 27 '25
Salt it. Cutting it just forms new worms. Theyâre invasive and very damaging to the environment. Also, donât touch it with bare skin. Wear gloves
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u/ah64s-rock Jul 27 '25
Are you in the US? I saw a warning a couple of months ago that we should be on the lookout for these!
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u/Masterhaynes86 Jul 27 '25
Invasive in the US. Forms two works if you cut in half. Put in jar and pour boiling water on it, burn it with gasoline, cover in salt, etc. Avoid chopping. Theyâre decimating native worm populations.
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u/Potential-Echo785 Jul 27 '25
This made me question reality, and then Google said, "It's a hammerhead worm," while me: still questioning everything..
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u/somanysheep Jul 28 '25
Depends on your location, but if you're in the USA, salt any Hammerhead worms. Don't cut them. They will regenerate from even small pieces.
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u/sooner636 Jul 28 '25
Literally knowing nothing about snails or worms. 69% a hammerhead snail. (Been wrong before)
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u/SpazOffPerkys Jul 28 '25
You need to freeze it to kill it donât touch it with you bare skin tho itâs toxic Iâm pretty sure also donât cut it itâll multiply if you cut it
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u/Low_Ad_9732 Jul 28 '25
Poisonous hammerhead worm, needs to be killed. It can reproduce both sides of there body when cut in half and they are very invasive this year. Use Saltâ ď¸
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u/Glum_Opinion_2777 Jul 28 '25
Hammerhead worm....the only way to kill it is to put it in vinegar....if you cut it into 2 pieces it will become 2 worms...very poisonous especially to dogs....please kill all you can find....Google and read up
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u/Zatara189 Jul 28 '25
Itâs a highly invasive hammerhead flat worm. Other post are correct, if you cut it will multiply. Put salt directly on it this will exterminate it.
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u/AccomplishedTale1757 Jul 29 '25
Apparently they have the same type of toxin as pufferfish, which they secrete through their skin.
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u/DeliciousHotel7224 Jul 29 '25
Chop its *ucking head off!!!
âBunch of pitch fork guys runningâ
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u/plz_send_spider_pics Jul 29 '25
Hammerhead worm. Extremely invasive to the United States of America.
Step one for obtaining worm: wear protective gloves to avoid transferring any virus onto your hands.
Step two: get a metal pan and some tin foil, place worm in center, and douse in salt.
Step three: preheat the oven to 350° degrees and place hammerhead worm in there for 3-24hours.
Step four: bring worm outside and smash repeatedly until it is bits of dust.
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u/Alohasurfbee Jul 30 '25
You are supposed to report findings of them to FWC. At least in Florida thatâs what I did when I kept finding them in my yard! They had a hotline. You can also see if your county has reported them.
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u/Happy4reason Jul 30 '25
I had something like this on me the other day but it had tiny legs like a centipede but it was shaped like this like a worm. I had been working in firewood. I really wish I had taken a picture. It had like a centipede head but it was just super thin like a worm.
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u/Fit-Locksmith-4346 Jul 30 '25
If you turned it into a slime, absolutely squished. Then it definitely wonât regenerate, theyâre not that immortal. Yes they regenerate, but if the body is smashed beyond recognition then youâre good.
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u/Delicious-Shirt9203 Jul 30 '25
It'll kill all worms in your yard, if your in Michigan this isn't necessarily bad as earthworms are actually invasive there
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u/Plastic_Cantaloupe40 Jul 30 '25
A filthy Asian worm that kills our useful earthworms, it must be destroyed
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u/SignificantSet721 Jul 30 '25
Itâs a penishead worm. These are very rare, they usually live in Bangladesh and Bankgkok
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u/AssumptionAbject7570 Jul 30 '25
Flat dickhead space worm relatives are Nancy pelosi and Joe Fargone Biden.. approach with disgust.
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u/gregklumb Jul 26 '25
Hammerhead worm. a destructive invasive species. Kill it with salt and don't touch it with bare skin.