Alien Flatworms

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SteveMcBill
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
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Alien Flatworms

Post by SteveMcBill »

Alien Flatworms:

I have recently found two alien flatworm species in Calderstones Park in Liverpool, these being Kontikia ventrolineata and Arthurdendyus triangulatus, both being from the Antipodes (one from Australia and one from New Zealand). They were probably introduced accidentally on the roots of plants brought in to populate the greenhouses which used to be in the Park. Hugh Jones is currently the Recording Scheme contact for England and if you find any flatworms in the Merseyside or Cheshire areaa (or surrounds) then records should be sent to both him and also (obviously) to either rECOrd or to Ben Deed at BioBank.

Hugh wrote this to me regarding the Kontikia ventrolineata find: "K.ventrolineata has been found in Liverpool since 1994 at Greenhill Nursery (now closed) in Garston (SJ402855), not far from your site. How long it had been there is anyone’s guess. Greenhill was a corporation nursery and two other exotic species could be found there, one only in the heated hothouses. I last visited Greenhill in 2012 (I got access by permission of the Parks Department) and found several of these and also another species with blue underside. I note that Calderstones Park is next to a botanic garden. Transport of plants is probably the main method of dispersal of this and other species, both locally and internationally. It would be interesting to know just how widespread they are in the Park and around Liverpool generally.

I would be interested if you should find any more records.

Sincerely,
Hugh Jones
Scientific Associate, Natural History Museum, London
6 off Hayfield Road,
Birch Vale,
High Peak,
SK22 1DG, UK
01663 745438
07752316074
E-mail: flatworm@btopenworld.com

Attachments
New Zealand Flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus)
New Zealand Flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus)
Kontikia ventrolineata - flatworm
Kontikia ventrolineata - flatworm
SteveMcBill
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:15 am
Location: Runcorn, Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Alien Flatworms

Post by SteveMcBill »

Alien Flatworms:

Hugh D. Jones
YouTube - Terrestrial Flatworm and Nemertine Videos.


Microplana terrestris (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kInmXFhqS80

Microplana scharffi (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NKNVfOud2Y

Microplana kwiskea (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSfSewWaqM

Obama sp. (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZU_ncoawfY

Caenoplana coerulea (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQLX_3Mwhfc

Kontikia ventrolineata (UK):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl1Tbhz-0Ns

Rhynchodemus sylvaticus (videoed in Bermuda, but widespread in Europe and USA):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUDHpWYrLq0

Kontikia andersoni (UK):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52kY2zY9wOg

Arthurdendyus triangulatus (the New Zealand flatworm, videoed in Scotland):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNNH5IiqQ1Y

Australoplana sanguinea (the Australian flatworm):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXhaeDpzoL0

Microplana termitophaga (Zimbabwe):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXSz8byR_s
and:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP-uktf0LvQ

Bipalium kewense (Zimbabwe):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDi-k0x9cZg

Southampton flatworm (Caenoplana bicolor (variegata)):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6S9fMpzkIk

Newquay Artioposthia species, March 2014
http://youtu.be/8OkQiKqm9UM

Terrestrial nemertines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg6NIDcaTF4

Argonemetres dendyi (Devon & Yorkshire)
Argonemertes pantini (Tresco, Isles of Scilly):

The following websites are also very useful:

David Fenwick website (land flatworms and nemerteans in Cornwall):
http://www.aphotofauna.com/worms_flatwo ... rtean.html

Jean-­‐Lou Justine website (in French) - (alien flatworms in France):
http://bit.ly/Plathelminthe

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