Lumbricus terrestris

The Nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris) is a large reddish worm which is more commonly seen than other earthworms due to its habit of copulating on the surface. It is widely distributed around the world but is native to Europe.

This species is also commonly referred to as the Common Earthworm because it is so frequently on the surface, although in most areas it is not the most common species, or as the Dew Worm, for the same reason.

The nightcrawler is an anecic worm, that is, it forms permanent deep burrows and comes to the surface to feed, as opposed to burrowing through the soil for its food as most other earthworms do.