Two, strange-looking creatures were found by Gary, a reader whose issue we only recently covered in “an article on what we identified as potential pupae” or debris. Shortly after we covered his story about the “two little guys” he found on his “couch after [he] spent the night sleeping on it”, he sent us new pictures. Here is what he said: “Actually I sent you the wrong picture. The one that I sent you was of them days later. Attached is them right after I found them. Closest thing that I’ve found is from Australia, but theirs has an open triangle on them as mine are filled in. Very similar otherwise.”

Now, it would have been helpful to know which worms from Australia he is referring to, because the organisms are still just as unfamiliar to us. That said, we will still try our best to come up with more, alternative possibilities for these critters’ identity. We still maintain that we do not think these are live worms or larvae, given that the shape of their bodies are so irregular. And it’s not so much that their bodies are lumpy, as there are worms and larvae that match that description, it’s the uneven, jagged edges that would be unnatural on an organism.

In our previous article, we mentioned the possibility that these were pieces of debris. Similarly, perhaps there is a larva somewhere inside these objects, which has covered itself in debris from the couch, much like the caddisfly covers itself in pebbles, or the casemaking clothes moth larvae constructs a tube of lint and silk. We would not know exactly what larva, besides the caddisfly, could construct a casing like this. Plus, caddisfly larvae leave an opening in their ‘armor’ so that they can breathe and see, and the similar red “triangle” that both of the organisms possess in the same spot put a hole in this theory (unless that’s their bodies poking through).

With that said, the red triangle definitely brings to mind the red triangle slug. These creatures are white in color, just like the ones Gary found, and they have a distinct red triangle on their backs. Of course, the adult slugs are much bigger and the triangles are also bigger, and hollow: not colored in like the ones on the creatures Gary photographed. But perhaps these are immature red triangle slugs. Additionally, maybe their jagged appearance comes from being stuck in the couch, which as consequently mangled their bodies. These guys are native to Australia, so we assume these could be the Australian organisms Gary referred to in his first submission. Red triangle slugs are not harmful to humans or pets.

The only other possibility that we can come up with is that these are fungi, perhaps even mold (mold being a type of fungi). This is definitely a stretch though, and we think it more likely that these are moving organisms like Gary implies. But we do want to consider every possibility nonetheless. We ask Gary to consider how old the couch is that he slept on, and what the conditions are like in the room in which the couch is kept. Is it damp? Is it kept warm? Is it well-ventilated? If the answer to all of these questions is ‘no’, then these are prime conditions for mold to grow. Mold can grow in all kinds of crazy shapes, though they do create amazing structures, so it is not impossible to believe that this red “triangle” could appear on multiple ‘pieces’. If Gary thinks this could be mold, then we urge him, or whoever owns the couch, to thoroughly check the couch for more of this white debris. If they find that there is more of it, it could be mold, and we suggest tossing the couch and replacing it, or contacting a professional to clean it.

To conclude, it is unfortunate that we still cannot provide Gary a confident identification. There just aren’t any worm-like organisms that we know of that look like this, other than the red triangle slug, which is our best bet. Likewise, if any of our other readers have any clues as to what these could be, they are free to share their opinions in the comments section below. We hope these additional suggestions prove helpful, and we wish Gary the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Jagged, White Organisms Found in Couch Might be Immature Red Triangle Slugs

Description

Two, strange-looking creatures were found by Gary, a reader whose issue we only recently covered in "<a href="https://www.allaboutworms.com/white-worm-like-creatures-on-couch-could-be-pupae-or-clumps-of-debris" target="_blank">an article on what we identified as potential pupae</a>" or debris. Shortly after we covered his story about the "two little guys" he found on his "couch after [he] spent the night sleeping on it", he sent us new pictures. Here is what he said: "Actually I sent you the wrong picture. The one that I sent you was of them days later. Attached is them right after I found them. Closest thing that I've found is from Australia, but theirs has an open triangle on them as mine are filled in. Very similar otherwise."

Author

Worm Researcher Anton