Worms of the new species Archipheretima middletoni reach 30-40 cm in length and are indigo blue with anterior yellow spots and posterior white spots with yellow centres, like little fried eggs. All species of the genus are blue, varying from aquamarine to deep indigo, and confined to the Philippines. These worms appear not to burrow in soil but move about on the ground and in leaf litter. Even more bizarre, the young of this new species were found only one per plant, living in the organic debris that accumulates in leaf axils of Pandanus trees. How the worms locate these trees in the forest, what life stage climbs the tree, or why there should only be one juvenile per plant remain mysteries.

Quentin Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University