'Jumping Worms' Are The New Murder Hornets And Have Invaded 15 States

An invasive worm species first seen in Wisconsin has wriggled its way to at least half a dozen other states.

The worm Amynthas spp is native to East Asia and was likely brought to the United States as fishing bait, KTVI reported. They are commonly known as jumping worms or snake worms because they thrash around when touched. They can also shed their tails.

Jumping worms look like earthworms, but have a white band around their bodies instead of a brown one.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison first noticed the worm in 2013. Since then, the worms have been spotted in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio.

"Populations of jumping worms have the potential to change the soil structure, deplete available nutrients, damage plant roots, and alter water holding capacity of the soil," according to a bulletin published by the University of Illinois.

Soil that looks like coffee grounds is a sign that jumping worms are around.

Researchers really have no way of stopping the worms from spreading, but ask home gardeners to kill the worms if found. Adult jumping worms can be placed in a plastic bag and then thrown in the trash. The Wiscosin Department of Natural Resources has additional recommendations on how to find and get rid of the worms.

Scientists are also tracking another invasive bug species, murder hornets.

Photo: Getty Images