Naturalis’ fieldwork on Sint Eustatius

Jeroen van der Brugge and Berry van der Hoorn

Invasive land flatworm Platydemus manokwari found on Sint Maarten

Sytske de Waart - 14 April 2021
Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1963. Specimen collected in a hothouse, Caen, France
/ Foto:
Pierre Gros

Platydemus manokwari (New Guinea landflatworm) is an invasive species and a threat to the biodiversity of land animals, including molluscs.Three specimens were found under a wooden board laying on soil surface in a common garden of a small residence located 500 m away from the Sint Maarten Grand Case airport. Numerous P. manokwari were easily observed in this locality. No specimen was found in natural areas.

Bron

Justine, J.-L., Gey, D., Vasseur, J., Thévenot, J., Coulis, M., Winsor, L. 2021. Presence of the invasive land flatworm Platydemus manokwari (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin (French West Indies). Zootaxa 4951(2): 381-390. [link]