- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Published on: May 22, 2023
What is that weird wormlike thing in your garden? A slug? An earthworm? It may be neither—it it might be a land planarian. Land planaria are also called terrestrial flatworms and hammerhead worms. They are often colorful, such as the blue garden flatworm (Caenoplana coerulea) or patterned with stripes, like the shovel-headed garden worm (Bipalium kewense).
Land planaria are generalist predators of earthworms, slugs, and other mollusks. They capture prey by wrapping their bodies around it and engulfing the prey with mucous. Planaria mouths are not at the end of their body like most animals, but on the underside near the middle of their body. Unlike slugs, land planaria do not have tentacles (such...
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UCANR: Protecting California's natural resources
Tags: ipm (0), land planaria (0), newsletter (0), pest (0), pest management (0), uc ipm (0), worm (0)
Focus Area Tags: Pest Management, Yard & Garden
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