chestnut worm vs common earthworm

Lumbricus castaneus compared with Lumbricus terrestris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	chestnut worm	common earthworm
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Annelida (Segmented Worms)	Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Class same	Clitellata (Clitellata)	Clitellata (Clitellata)
Order same	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)	Crassiclitellata (Crassiclitellata)
Family same	Lumbricidae	Lumbricidae
Genus same	Lumbricus	Lumbricus
Species	Lumbricus castaneus	Lumbricus terrestris

Evolutionary Relationship

chestnut worm and common earthworm share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Lumbricus.

Conservation Status

chestnut worm

NE — Not Evaluated

common earthworm

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	chestnut worm	common earthworm
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

chestnut worm

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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).

chestnut worm

The chestnut worm (Lumbricus castaneus) is a species in the genus Lumbricus. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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