[Pallas]

This may not be a pest but wasn't sure where to post it.

We have (finally!) had some real rain, about 5 days of it, so the garden is very wet and the soil saturated. This afteroon I saw numerous worms on a terracotta tile path, in transit between a flower bed and a crevice under the house. A very bad photo attached. Most were about 5 to 7cm long although some were shorter, very thin (1mm), very pointy at each end and appeared black although on the photo blueish patches are visible. They looked very smooth and did not appear to be segmented.

Any ideas what they might be? I don't recall ever seeing these before. I am a little concerned in case they are parasitic (people and 2 cats...).

[Pallas]

I think I have solved my own question. I went outside to take more photos, the light was a bit better and I paid more attention, and a pale longitudinal stripe was clearly visible -- see photo.

It is a planarian, a Blue Garden Flatworm, Caenoplana coerulea, native to New Zealand and eastern Australia. I found this information here: http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/local-snails-slugs-worms/flatworm-2.html

Seems it is harmless (although who knows outside its normal habitat) but at least it's not a nasty unless you're an invertebrate.