Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Great, another Great Lakes Exotic!

IIRC, there were no native earthworms in North America in areas that experienced glaciation. Before European (and, presumably, southern North American ???) worm varieties were transplanted into these areas by man, the earthworm ecological niche - burrowing and eating decaying material - were performed by ants. I suppose pre-ice age ants were wiped out by the glaciers as well, but with a winged phase in young pre-breeding adults, ants can spread back into thawed areas much faster than worms.