Bipalium vagum
In La Réunion
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Genus: Bipalium
Species:
B. vagum
Binomial name
Bipalium vagum
Jones & Sterrer, 2005

Bipalium vagum, the wandering hammerhead worm, is a land planarian in the subfamily Bipaliinae. It has been accidentally introduced in the United States, Bermuda and various islands in the Caribbean [1][2][3] and was recorded for the first time in Europe, in Italy, in 2021.[4]

Description

Bipalium vagum is a relatively small species of Bipalium, measuring about 25 mm (0.98 in) in length. The head varies from entirely black to dark brown with two black patches separated by a lighter ground color. The neck has a black collar interrupted only at the creeping sole. The dorsal color of the body is light brown and a broad black stripe runs longitudinally from the black collar to the posterior end. Laterally, there are two diffuse dark brown stripes.[1][3]

Feeding Habits

Differently from other invasive species of Bipalium, which feed on earthworms, B. vagum seems to feed exclusively on gastropods. As it seems to be spreading throughout the Caribbean and southern United States, there is certain concern on its possible impacts on the native gastropod fauna.[1][2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jones, Hugh D.; Sterrer, Wolfgang (2005). "Terrestrial planarians (Platyhelminthes, with three new species) and nemertines of Bermuda". Zootaxa. 1001 (1): 31. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1001.1.3. ISSN 1175-5334.
  2. 1 2 Ducey, Peter K.; McCormick, Matthew; Davidson, Elizabeth (2007). "Natural History Observations on Bipalium cf. vagum Jones and Sterrer (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida), a Terrestrial Broadhead Planarian New to North America". Southeastern Naturalist. 6 (3): 449–460. doi:10.1656/1528-7092(2007)6[449:NHOOBC]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1528-7092.
  3. 1 2 Justine, Jean-Lou; Winsor, Leigh; Gey, Delphine; Gros, Pierre; Thévenot, Jessica (2018). "Giant worms chez moi! Hammerhead flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae, Bipalium spp., Diversibipalium spp.) in metropolitan France and overseas French territories". PeerJ. 6: e4672. doi:10.7717/peerj.4672. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 5969052. PMID 29844951.Open access icon
  4. ↑ Mori, Emiliano; Magoga, Giulia; Panella, Marta; Montagna, Matteo; Winsor, Leigh; Justine, Jean-Lou; Menchetti, Mattia; Schifani, Enrico; Melone, Beatrice; Mazza, Giuseppe (2021-09-26). "Discovering the Pandora's box: the invasion of alien flatworms in Italy". Biological Invasions. 24: 205–216. doi:10.1007/s10530-021-02638-w. ISSN 1387-3547.
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