Bipalium pennsylvanicum Ogren, 1987
Bipalium pennsylvanicum: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/19172
Synonyms
Broadhead Planarian  Hammerhead Worm 
Tags
Non-native

Map Snapshot

23 Records

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Status

Introduced from Asia.

Description

Compare Bipalium adventitium. Small, about 3 inches long, with three dark dorsal stripes that reach the neck. B. kewense is larger, can be as long as your hand, has five dark longitudinal stripes that reach the neck. It shows up in greenhouses, plant nurseries, gardens, etc. (B. Norden, pers. comm.)

Relationships

Feeds on earthworms.

Seasonality Snapshot

Resources

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Source: Wikipedia

Bipalium pennsylvanicum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Genus: Bipalium
Species:
B. pennsylvanicum
Binomial name
Bipalium pennsylvanicum
Ogren, 1987

Bipalium pennsylvanicum, the three-lined land planarian, is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Bipaliinae.[1][2] They are native to Asia, but found mostly in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.[3][2] They can reach a length of 5.1 inches (130 mm) or more, with a diet consisting mostly of earthworms. They reproduce sexually by creating a cocoon in the spring, but unlike related planarians, they cannot reproduce through binary fission.[2] It is not recommended to touch these flatworms without gloves, because their mucus contains a toxin that is used for digesting prey and can cause skin irritation for some people.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ogren, Robert E (1987). "Description of a New Three-Lined Land Planarian of the Genus Bipalium (Turbellaria: Tricladida) from Pennsylvania, U.S.A". Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 106 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/3226281. JSTOR 3226281.
  2. ^ a b c "Hammerhead Flatworms and Other Land Planaria of Eastern North America". Penn State Extension. May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Barker, G.M. (2004). Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. Oxfordshire: CABI Publishing. pp. 242–248. ISBN 0851993192. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Draper, Erik (May 27, 2022). "Hammerhead Hysteria". Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine. Ohio State University. Retrieved July 30, 2022.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Ogren, Robert E.; Sheldon, Joseph K (August 1991). "Ecological observations on the land planarian Bipalium pennsylvanicum Ogren, with references to phenology, reproduction, growth rate and food niche". Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. 65 (1): 3–9. JSTOR 44148906.