The further adventures of Bipalium adventitium

[urbpan]

I occasionally get comments to old entries, and recently I've gotten two to my 365 urban species post about the wandering broadhead planarian, affectionately known as the "landchovy" by my readers. This terrestrial flatworm is an predator of earthworms, an alien native to Indonesia or thereabouts, accidentally introduced into North America in

Comments

[martianmoons]

I read an article recently that earthworms are invasive themselves, and were brought over to North America by the early colonists in their plants, etc. And earthworms have changed the ecology of the American forest, which previously of course had no earthworms at all!

I suspect these two invasive species will strike a balance, perhaps like they do in Asia.

[urbpan]

I think this only applies to the part of North America that was covered by glaciers during the Ice Age. In the American south (say, south of Virginia, if we use the NG article about Jamestown as a guide) there are native earthworms.

[martianmoons]

Yes, good point! And I used the NG article as my source,too! Big bad glaciers froze everyone out! (or at least some things out! ;)

landchovy/planarian

[anonymous]

I just found one in North Texas, (DFW area). I didn't know what it was so I watched it cross the sidewalk and enter a grassy area. A few paces up I found a dead earthworm on the sidewalk. I did not put the two together untill I searched the internet and found out what I had encountered. My question is should I notify someone - I really don't know who, about my discovery? Or is this old news?

Re: landchovy/planarian

[urbpan]

You could report it to Professor Ducey at SUNY, but I think it is old news at this point. I find it fascinating, nonetheless. If you wanted to be extra helpful, you could collect a couple landchovies and send them to him.

[hissilliness]

But how are they on pizza?

[urbpan]

You first!

Earthworms, Planarians

[hissilliness]

Yes, there are and were native species of earthworms south of glacial extent. These have also been hit by disturbance, as invasives seem to do better with disturbance. The forests in the north that are hit particularly hard by earthworms are nothern mesic hardwoods, namely sugar maple dominated stands. Plants that evolved to live with the litter layer disappear completely as their forest alters.

[g_gucci_purse]

what

flathead worms

[anonymous]

We found one of these flathead worms going across my living room carpet this morning, I hate worms of any kind but was glad to learn it wasn't some kind of snake.
Now I am wondering if there will be more to come in or
if that is a once in a million thing to happen?

Re: flathead worms

[urbpan]

That seems unusual; it must be rather humid in your house, as these animals dry up pretty easily.

flathead worm

[anonymous]

I'm sorry I meant to tell you that the last post about the worm in my living room was in Georgia.
I am Christine, screen name Gamayflower

Re: flathead worm

[anonymous]

I've seen this worm around my house here in Shaftsbury,VT. I've seen these worms under rotten logs and leaf litter piles. Rather interesting that I found this site by accident as I'm trying to id a crab that was brought back from CT by accident.