By: Jessica Robertson
France has recently been invaded by
a surprising foe – the New Guinea flatworm. Platydemus
manokwari, as it is also known, is the only terrestrial flatworm on the
list of the 100 most invasive alien species in the world, published by the
Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). The list details species that, due to
the modern increase of globalization and worldwide trade, have entered a new
habitat and caused harmful disruption in the ecosystem.
The New Guinea flatworm was found
recently in a greenhouse of the Jardin des Plantes de Caen, and was
definitively identified by its notable appearance and through special molecular
analysis. These findings are no less than startling, considering this is the
first instance of the species’ presence in all of Europe, not in France alone.
Snails are the main diet of this
flatworm, which has been introduced in over fifteen Pacific territories,
sometimes deliberately and sometimes not. The snail population in these Pacific
territories has decreased significantly, causing a huge reduction in the
genetic diversity of the numerous snail species. In the past, the flatworm was
supposed to eradicate one particular harmful species of snail, promising better
results in agriculture. However, the serious
threats of this invasive flatworm species far outweigh any ecological benefits
it may previously been thought to have.
While the flatworm originates from
the tropical country of New Guinea, it most often inhabits the cool mountain
regions of the country, meaning it may easily adapt to the European climate. It
is known to consume European snails, and, in the absence of snails, to consume
earthworms. These predictions boast a surprising threat to biological diversity
in France and all of Europe, where hundred of species of snails currently
thrive. Now, before the flatworm continues in its conquest, is the time to
eradicate the New Guinea flatworm from its new desired kingdom.
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