Agreed. They are caterpillars, not worms, and they won't hurt mature plants. Largely nocturnal. But you'll want to protect seedlings from them.

They don't look like caterpillars to me. My first thought is that they're the larvae of crane flies. At first, I considered soldier fly larvae but that's not it. But letting us see if they have legs and prolegs will determine their identity.

Good point about crane fly larvae. Legs or no legs will tell you. Crane fly larvae do feed on roots.

Do you call crane fly larvae leather jackets in the US? That's what they are here.

Yes, I believe crane fly larvae are, indeed, called "leather jackets" in the U.S.

They are not caterpillars, nor worms, probably crane fly larval. I call them: grubs, a catch all phrase for dirt dwelling larval. Beetles also come from grubs.

I wouldn't call crane fly larvae grubs, as that term is an accepted name for beetle larvae. I totally disagree that most of us think of it as a catch all term for all ground dwelling larvae.

I've always known them as leather jackets, but more commonly use the word larvae for these insects, which most wouldn't think of as maggots.

Thank you all for your responses. I saw a lot of what were, undoubtedly, crane flies around my house this past summer. Though I didn't know it at the time.

I am in Northern California. Is there a good product to use to attack crane fly larvae in vegetable garden soil?

Are you sure they're crane fly larvae? They seem to be mainly a turf pest. Crane flies IPM

Whatever they are, unless your pepper plants are showing signs of damage, I would leave them be. Most insects are beneficial, and unless you know you have identified something that will devastate your plants, let them go about their business. They are part of the organic food chain that makes your garden possible.