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Abstract - Pheretimoid earthworms ("Jumping Worms") are Asian annelids with characteristics that make them effective invaders in the northeastern United States. Because many species of Jumping Worms thrive in wood mulches, gardening practices may play a significant role in distributing them. Despite mounting evidence that Jumping Worms can cause damage to gardens and natural ecosystems, the current range of Jumping Worms in North America is poorly known. We compiled reports of Jumping Worms from many different data sources to better understand the potential for amateur community scientists to contribute information regarding undescribed populations of these invasive species. Additionally, we conducted a survey of Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteers to better understand the perception of these species within the gardening community and attempts at control. Amateur reporting from community-science programs and gardeners resulted in a large number of potential, undescribed Jumping Worm populations, especially in areas unstudied by the small number of earthworm researchers in our study region. Within the gardening community, the perception of Jumping Worms is less favorable compared to other earthworms, largely owing to their perceived negative ecological effects in gardens and natural ecosystems. As a result, homeowners frequently attempt to control their abundance. Gardeners and community scientists can importantly contribute to our understanding of the range and negative effects of invasive Jumping Worms in the Northeast.
Introduction
The colonization of North America by Asian earthworms in the family Megascolecidae represents a "second wave" of earthworm invasion, following the introduction of European earthworms during colonial expansion (Szlavecz et al. 2018). A set of 3 co-invading species are most frequent at invaded sites in northeastern North America: Amynthas agrestis (Goto and Hatai), A. tokioensis (Beddard), and Metaphire hilgendorfi (Michaelsen) (Chang et al. 2018). These species, along with other related species, are frequently called "Jumping Worms". There are at least 16 members of this invasive group in North America (Chang et al. 2016), and the distributions of these species are largely unknown and may be changing rapidly. The ecological consequences of invasion by Jumping Worms are currently unclear. However, the copious production of granular castings by these species is associated with changes to soil properties (Bethke and Midgley 2020, Greiner et al. 2012, Laushman et al. 2018, Price-Christenson et al. 2020), and earthworm-caused reductions...