Earthworms are described as hermaphrodites because each individual organism :
Contains both male and female reproductive organs
Earthworms do not change sex seasonally, do not need three individuals to reproduce, and do not reproduce solely by asexual fragmentation; reproduction in earthworms is sexual and involves mating between two individuals.
The term hermaphrodite specifically means that a single organism possesses both male reproductive organs (testes) and female reproductive organs (ovaries) at the same time. In earthworms, though each individual has both sets of organs, they still typically exchange sperm with a partner during mating, after which each worm fertilizes its own eggs.
Therefore, earthworms are hermaphrodites because each individual contains both male and female reproductive organs.
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