Abstract

For decades, there have been numerous instances of exotic terrestrial flatworms (commonly known as planarians) invading soil ecosystems in the United States. This has been impactful because many of these invasive planarians are carnivores and their preferred prey are native earthworm populations. Earthworms play an important role in the health of the overall soil ecosystem as well as the flora and fauna it supports aboveground. Due to their status as apex predators, invasive flatworms are able to reduce earthworm populations unhindered, leading to potential absence of these earthworms and subsequent degradation of the soil. The research on the ecology of these invasive flatworms is largely a new realm of study, and there have been few effective methods of management to combat their spread. In order to set the stage for future targeted study, this project aimed to assess the relative abundance of flatworm populations at UNC Asheville, their ecological preferences in the field, and optimal conditions for rearing in a laboratory setting. Two carnivorous planarians were identified in the gardens on UNC Asheville’s campus, Bipalium adventitium and Diversibipalium multilineatum. Individuals of these species were collected and reared in a lab with the goal of encouraging their reproduction to grow a laboratory population. A general protocol was developed for the care of collected specimens. Limited reproduction was recorded from B. adventitium, which refutes past studies of a hypothesized breeding season for this species. Soil samples were also collected from the field site and assessed for moisture and organic matter to evaluate flatworm soil condition preferences. This study provides a better understanding of the feeding and reproductive ecology of three exotic planarians that have invaded western North Carolina and provides a basis for future study.

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