The invasive worm has now got the attention of state and local officials who have just started an investigation, even though the worms were seen in June of last year in Miami. It is believed the predatory flatworm was brought into the U.S. hidden in plants and tropical fruits.
The flatworm, properly called Platydemus manokwari, is fairly large, averaging between 40-65 millimeters (1.4 to 3.5 inches) in length and about four to seven millimeters (o.2 to 0.3 inches) in width. Both ends of the worm come to a point, with the head being more pointed than the tail, with two eyes right on the tip of the head.
They are generally brown to a murky olive color with a pale underside and a distinctive dorsal orange stripe down the center of their back. It’s sort of hard to mistake these creatures for anything else.
The New Guinea flatworm is native to New Guinea but has accidentally been introduced into the soil of many countries, including France and the U.S. most recently. The invasive worm poses a threat to local ecosystems because it can devastate native soil invertebrates.
The flatworm has a particularly gruesome way of eating its prey. The mouth is in the middle of its belly, on the ventral side, so when it wants to eat a snail, a protruding white, cylindrical pharynx is inserted into the body of the prey and it is then sucked into the worm.
There is cause for alarm because of the flatworm’s predatory nature. They feed primarily on small land snails, as well as various soil invertebrates, such as earthworms, slugs, and arthropods. The worm is persistent in tracking down its prey, going so far as to climb up a tree to get at a snail.
From alarm to a serious threat to humans
The flatworm has no known predators. Birds won’t eat them because of the worm’s nasty taste, and generally, it has been said that they pose no threat to humans. But this isn’t entirely true. Florida health and environmental officials are alarmed because the flatworm is a paratenic host for the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis, also known as the rat lungworm.
Paratenic describes a host that is not necessary for the development of a particular species of parasite. Basically, this means the parasite does not undergo any changes in the stages of its development while inside the host, or in this case, the New Guinea flatworm.
This makes Platydemus manokwari a vector of the parasite. A. cantonensis parasitizes humans and causes angiostrongyliasis. Roy Beckford, an agriculture agent in Lee County who works with the University of Florida says the worm can infect rats, and that is particularly worrisome, reports local Fox affiliate WFTX.
“If you have long worms (angiostrongyliasis), basically you start this horrible coughing. It’s a parasite in your lungs that needs to be treated,” says Beckford. He also says that if you see one, don’t touch it. “It can actually cause problems on your skin because it actually vomits up this caustic substance than can cause problems.”