The current worldwide occurrence of these terrestrial worms is a testament to their remarkable evolutionary success in occupying a new niche on land. Was found to have invaded France, Europeans already had cause for alarm: Another invasive land flatworm,Īrthurdendyus triangulatus, was known to have reduced earthworm numbers in the British Isles.Īncestors of terrestrial flatworms colonized the land, from the sea or freshwater, hundreds of millions of years ago. Flatworms may not seem particularly worrisome or threatening, but they are voracious top-level predators of soil organisms, and their presence can change nutrient cycling, endanger native species, and alter an ecosystem’s plant community. Many places in the world are being invaded by land flatworms that have stowed away in the soil of imported ornamental plants. Land flatworms, a group of about 910 species, typically live in tropical jungles or temperate wooded areas and can survive only in moist soil environments.
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