Land Mollusks and Worms - non-native

Land Planarian (hammerhead flatworm) (Family Geoplanidae) on Jul 4, 2022

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

Flat, beige brown stripe up middle. Head elongated when it moves

Commentary

Thank you for your report! This is a flathead planarian, there are a few species in Oregon, but they are not known to be harmful. There are currently no actions being taken about these, but your observation helps us understand their distribution in the state and becomes a resource for future work.

Lindsey Wise
July 18, 2022, 2:02 a.m.

Resources

Several species of flathead worms have become invasive in the US. They can be difficult to tell apart and are not well-studied. Species reported from Oregon include Bipalium adventitum, Bipalium kewense, and Caenoplana coerulea among others.

Location

Under containers plants in landscape

Expert Reviewer

Mrs. Lindsey Wise
Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, inr.oregonstate.edu/orbic
Oregon iMapInvasives
Institute for Natural Resources
Portland State University

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