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Story: Earthworms

Mature worm

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Mature worm

You can see that this is a mature worm because of the well developed clitellum – a swollen gland that secretes fluid for building a cocoon for the eggs. As this litter-dwelling worm spends some of its time in the open, its body is darkly pigmented for protection against ultraviolet light.

Using this item

Soil Bugs – An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Soil Invertebrates

by Alastair Robertson and Maria Minor

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How to cite this page

Gregor Yeates, Earthworms – The earthworm body, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15490/mature-worm (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Gregor Yeates, published 1 March 2009.