A new invasive species, known as the “crazy snake worm” or “Asian jumping worm,” has been unearthed for the first time in Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the worm, Amynthas agresitis, was found in Clackamas and Josephine counties in 2016.

The significant distance between the two discoveries likely indicates the species is probably found elsewhere in Oregon as well, said Clint Burfitt, manager of ODA’s insect pest prevention and management program.

Residential landowners turned the worms over to officials from ODA and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife after noticing its vigorous flipping.

“The behavior is very distinctive,” Burfitt said. “Earthworms aren’t known for their energetic behavior, but this one is.”

The worm’s detrimental effects on forest health have also been causing growing concern in the Great Lakes region and the East Coast, said Jim Labonte, an ODA entomologist.

“There’s beginning to be a lot of attention to be paid to this there,” he said.

Several pathways may be responsible for the worm’s movement, including earthmoving equipment, compost and fishermen, he said. The species reproduces asexually, so not many individuals are necessary for an established population.

By rapidly consuming the detritus along the forest floor, the worms remove the protective layer that plant seeds need to sprout and outcompete other animals that depend on this habitat.

“That affects the forest’s ability to regenerate,” said Burfitt.

Bare soil isn’t as effective as retaining water, allowing it to run off more quickly — potentially having an impact on agriculture, said LaBonte.

The change in soil structure also disrupts nutrient cycling, harming the forest’s health over time, he said.

At this point, though, it’s unknown whether these impacts will be experienced in Oregon as they have elsewhere in the U.S., since the forest type and climate here are different, LaBonte said.

“When you’re making projections, it’s easy to go to, ‘The sky is falling,’” he said. “Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t.”