Hammerhead worms prey on earthworms, which are essential to land and agriculture health. Though unconfirmed by the UGA map, photos and observations reveal dozens of other sightings this year. A USDA-shared mapping system maintained by the University of Georgia shows the species has been detected in a number of states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and California. In the U.S., they're mostly found in the Southeast and along the East Coast.

'These rascals from Asia are largely unseen in the lawn but clearly visible as they glide in slow motion across a driveway on a cool dewy morning,' Raupp wrote. in 1891 through infested plants and soil, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center.

Hammerhead worms are an invasive species known to be native to Southeast Asia and believed to have been introduced in the U.S. According to Texas A&M, the worms are often 'honey-colored with one to five dark stripes running the length of the body.' They can grow to be up to 15 inches long. The worms, also known as land planarians or shovel-headed garden worms, are easily detected by their unique body structure: They have long, thick bodies with a flat, wide head that resembles that of a hammerhead shark.

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