Populationoftoxic, invasive hammerhead worms increasing in CT, expert says
Aug. 9—Hammerhead worms in Connecticut are toxic and should not be touched, Ridge said. The worms use a toxin called tetrodotoxin to immobilize their prey in order to find food. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the biotoxin affects the signals between nerves and muscles in the human body, which can cause paralysis or death. They can commonly be found in warm, damp habitats such as under soil, logs or dead leaves.
CNN reports that, "hammerhead tetrodotoxin, which disrupts neurons' signaling to muscles, can sicken pets if they eat the worms, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection." Peter Ducey, a professor of biological sciences at the State University of New York at Cortland, told CNN that human contact with the worms can cause surface skin irritation or worse if the worms' toxins enter the body.
Despite this, Ridge says these worms are "our allies," as this species of invasive worms is a predator to another invasive species: the jumping worm.
"This specific species of hammerhead...evolved with the jumping worm, which are causing a serious problem in Connecticut and New England," Ridge said, adding that the hammerhead worm species has grown in recent years in Connecticut in tandem with the abundance of jumping worms in the state. The hammerhead worms have been in Connecticut for decades, but in low numbers until the jumping worms were introduced.
"It's a prey-predator situation," Ridge added.
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A 2022 report from CEAS authored by Ridge calls the species "an active worm hunter," and explains that it "is an exotic land planarian accidentally introduced during the last century from Southeast Asia, and it is present in Connecticut ... Anecdotal conversations with other researchers in New England, and public submissions of this particular planarian to the Insect Information Office (IIO) reveal a noticeable increase in their populations during the past year. This may reflect the prey/predator dynamic where higher numbers of prey promote an increase in predator activity."
Having the hammerhead worms has been vital to curbing the jumping worm population and "should be encouraged" in Connecticut, despite being an invasive species, Ridge said. Jumping worm populations can "destabilize the soil, increase nutrient leaching and erosion, increase drought vulnerability, cause turf detachment from soil and unstable rooting, root desiccation and low germination."
