Bug Identifier
New Guinea Flatworm
Community identification

New Guinea Flatworm

Platydemus manokwari

Order & Family
Order Tricladida, Family Geoplanidae
Size
40 mm to 65 mm (1.6 to 2.6 inches) in length and about 4 mm to 7 mm wide.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Found in soil, leaf litter, and under rocks/logs in tropical and subtropical regions; often invasive in gardens and greenhouses.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator primarily feeding on land snails, earthworms, and other soil-dwelling invertebrates.

Behavior Patterns

Active mainly at night or in damp conditions to avoid drying out; they move by gliding on a film of mucus and can follow the slime trails of snail prey.

Risks & Benefits

Extremely invasive; poses a high risk to biodiversity by decimating native snail populations. Can carry the rat lungworm parasite (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), which is a risk to humans if the worm or its mucus is accidentally ingested.