Bipalium pennsylvanicum

Bipalium pennsylvanicum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Genus: Bipalium
Species:
B. pennsylvanicum
Binomial name
Bipalium pennsylvanicum
Ogren, 1987

Bipalium pennsylvanicum, the three-lined land planarian, is a species of land planarian in the subfamily Bipaliinae.[1][2] They are native to Asia, but found mostly in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.[3][2] They can reach a length of 5.1 inches (130 mm) or more, with a diet consisting mostly of earthworms. They reproduce sexually by creating a cocoon in the spring, but unlike related planarians, they cannot reproduce through binary fission.[2] It is not recommended to touch these flatworms without gloves, because their mucus contains a toxin that is used for digesting prey and can cause skin irritation for some people.[4]

References

  1. ^ Ogren, Robert E (1987). "Description of a New Three-Lined Land Planarian of the Genus Bipalium (Turbellaria: Tricladida) from Pennsylvania, U.S.A". Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 106 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/3226281. JSTOR 3226281.
  2. ^ a b c "Hammerhead Flatworms and Other Land Planaria of Eastern North America". Penn State Extension. May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Barker, G.M. (2004). Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. Oxfordshire: CABI Publishing. pp. 242–248. ISBN 0851993192. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Draper, Erik (May 27, 2022). "Hammerhead Hysteria". Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine. Ohio State University. Retrieved July 30, 2022.

Further reading

  • Ogren, Robert E.; Sheldon, Joseph K (August 1991). "Ecological observations on the land planarian Bipalium pennsylvanicum Ogren, with references to phenology, reproduction, growth rate and food niche". Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. 65 (1): 3–9. JSTOR 44148906.