Worcestershire Record No. 21 April 2007 p. 48

Peter Williams (via email)

In issue 8 of Worcestershire Record there was a piece by John Meiklejohn about small worms Microscolex phosphoreus which glow in the dark when disturbed. They were found in a compost heap in Pershore. I know it's not Worcestershire but you might be interested to know that we now have them in Gloucestershire. I am the greenkeeper at Wotton-under-Edge Bowls club and we have been troubled by thousands of very small worm casts on the green that appear every night. These wouldn't be a problem (or even be noticed) in long grass but they are a real nuisance on a bowling green.

I sent photographs to Dr T Piearce at Lancaster University who suggested that they might be M. phosphoreus so we went back to the green late at night and, sure enough, the little blighters really do glow when you annoy them!