• Health
  • Science
  • U.S.
  • Technology
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Building a Better World

News and information

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Our Team

Invasive New Guinea flatworm lands on Florida’s shores

June 24, 2015 By Sam Catherman

Invasive New Guinea flatworm lands on Florida’s shores

The highly invasive New Guinea flatworm has been reported in several Miami-area gardens, creating serious concerns for ecosystems in the continental United States.

Florida has a big problem on its hands, and it could even spread to other states soon enough. The New Guinea flatworm, an invasive force to be reckoned with, has shown up in several gardens in the Miami area. According to a report from Newsweek, the flatworm has been spreading from its home in the Pacific islands across the globe at an alarming rate.

The New Guinea flatworm has touched down on the continental U.S. for the first time, and it could mean disaster for many of our country’s food webs and ecosystems. The worm is a voracious predator of many native snail species, and there are no natural predators on the continent.

According to the study’s lead author, Jean-Lou Justine from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, the flatworm is one of the most dangerous invasive species in the world. The worm has a large appetite for many varieties of garden snails and other soil-dwelling invertebrates. As it gorges on these native species, the flatworm will likely send shocks throughout various ecosystems.

Justine says that the worm poses a serious threat to the native snail species in the U.S. Many bird species and other small animals rely on snails as a primary food source, and will soon face stiff competition for resources from the flatworms, fresh off the boat.

The flatworm is endemic to the high-elevation areas in New Guinea, where temperatures rarely dip below freezing. Ecologists don’t expect the worm to extend its range into the northern parts of the U.S. and Canada, but anywhere with a temperate climate is fair game.

The flatworm was previously confined to island environments, hopping rides on boats and planes. Now that it has reached the continental United States, however, there is virtually no limit to how far it could expand.

Scientists worry that the high-traffic gardens in the Miami area will serve as a prolific breeding ground for flatworm populations, as gardeners move their equipment from one plot to the next.

The worms also release hazardous chemical compounds that are incorporated into their mucus, which can be toxic and cause allergic reactions. The mucus also serves as a defensive mechanism from predators, of which there are currently none in the U.S.

Ecologists and environmental professionals are scrambling to get a grip on the New Guinea flatworm before its numbers start to get out of control in the United States.

Sharing

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Filed Under: None

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Facebookrss

Search:

Recent Posts

  • NASA’s InSight spacecraft makes important course correction May 26, 2018
  • Scientists outraged at latest Trump decision May 15, 2018
  • Huge uproar erupts over major incident at Utah park May 13, 2018
  • Incredible moon discovery stuns scientists May 12, 2018
  • Authorities shocked by discovery about common painkiller May 6, 2018
  • Outrageous crocodile experiment stuns scientists May 5, 2018
  • Great Barrier Reef is too quiet, scientists say May 1, 2018
  • Massive Hiroshima bomb discovery shocks scientists May 1, 2018
  • Earth will be slammed by massive asteroid April 29, 2018
  • Teens are doing something incredibly alarming in schools April 29, 2018
  • Huge discovery in Tasmania stuns scientists April 28, 2018
  • Shocking discovery in New Jersey stuns authorities April 22, 2018
  • Huge volcanic explosion could wipe out the United States April 21, 2018
  • Huge controversy erupts over world’s hottest pepper April 15, 2018
  • SpaceX is about to do something astonishing April 15, 2018

Copyright © 2022 Jones Kilmartin Group, LLC · Metro Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress