Black Bent vs common earthworm

Agrostis gigantea compared with Lumbricus terrestris

Key Differences

• Black Bent is Least Concern while common earthworm is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Bent	common earthworm
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Clitellata (Clitellata)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)
Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)	Lumbricidae
Genus	Agrostis	Lumbricus
Species	Agrostis gigantea	Lumbricus terrestris

Conservation Status

Black Bent

LC — Least Concern

common earthworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Bent	common earthworm
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Bent

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Japan), Europe (11 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (5 countries).

common earthworm

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (United States).

Black Bent

The Black Bent (Agrostis gigantea) is a species in the genus Agrostis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

common earthworm

<em>Lumbricus terrestris</em>, the common earthworm, is one of the most ecologically significant invertebrates in temperate soils and is native to Europe, with introduced populations established across North America and other regions globally. The species is not evaluated by the IUCN Red List. <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em> belongs to the family Lumbricidae and is widely distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries in its introduced range. It typically inhabits moist, organic-rich soils in gardens, agricultural fields, woodlands, and grasslands, burrowing deep into the substrate and surfacing at night or after rainfall to feed on decomposing leaf litter and soil organic matter. As a detritivore and ecosystem engineer, the common earthworm dramatically improves soil structure, aeration, drainage, and fertility through its burrowing activity and the production of nutrient-rich castings. It is a critical food source for a wide range of predators including birds, mammals, amphibians, and invertebrates. Charles Darwin extensively studied <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em> and recognized its profound role in soil formation and ecosystem functioning in his 1881 publication on the subject. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States