Earthworm identification
Earthworms have a number of characters that allow us to tell the difference between the species. As earthworms in general are not very large, some of these characters are not very easy to see. The picture below shows some of the main characters that are used in identifying earthworms.
For some earthworm species it is possible to identify them in the field with the aid of a hand lens. OPAL have produced an easy to use field guide to identifying the most common earthworms encountered in gardens and parks. To download this guide, go to www.opalexplorenature.org/?q=Earthwormguide
To accurately identify all British earthworms it is necessary to have a microscope and a copy of the key, Earthworms by Sims and Gerard (1999), available from the Field Studies Council. Identification of all species of British earthworm is not easy to do and requires a lot of patience and practice!
There is now a new key to British earthworms, written by Emma Sherlock, ESB President and curator of free living worms at the Natural History Museum, London. It is currently in the testing stage and can be accessed from the Field Studies council websites here: www.field-studies-council.org/publications/aidgaptesters.asp
Identification courses
The Earthworm Society of Britain runs earthworm identification courses where you can learn how to identify British earthworms. These are suitable for people of all ages and abilities, please download our brochure here or contact Dan Carpenter for more information at dan@earthwormsoc.org.uk.