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Any ideas on this worm

Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
in The potting shed
I found this at the allotment yesterday I have never seen anything like it anyone got any ideas.
It appears to be a worm of some sort dark brown green on the body with a distinctive golden brown strip all the way down its back when uncurled is about 150cm long the pictures are not great but may help.

I caught it and have it at home to try and identify but so far no luck.







"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    It is not a good photo, so look up New Zealand flatworm and see if that matches. If so , it is not  good news.
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    Googling 'worm with stripe along body' suggests some type of flatworm.
  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    New Zealand flat worm was my concern but cant find it on the web as yet I have it in a bottle at home and it wont be going back until I have definite identification.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I would contact either the RHS if you're a member, or your local Wildlife Trust  https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/find-wildlife-trust   for a firm ID.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2018
    Aha ... think I've got it!

    Kontikea ventrolineata ... eats slugs and snails kneel

    https://flatwormsofcornwall.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/kontikia-ventrolineata/

    Seems to have been in the UK for quite a while https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0020503220

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2018
    Says here "...Kontikia ventrolineata This species is another recent introduction into the British Isles from Australia. It is 1-2cm long and eats small snails and slugs. It is black with two narrow pale grey lines close to the midline. There are no records from the Isle of Man, but it has been recorded in Liverpool, Cornwall, Guernsey and recently in Scotland which suggests that it is spreading but has not yet shown to be harmful..."

    https://www.gov.im/media/59994/informationsheetupdatedflatworms.pdf

    Yours seems to be somewhat longer ... although all small children know that worms stretch almost indefinitely  ;) .... perhaps yours is better fed ... have lots of your slugs gone missine?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    @Hampshire Hog 's looks to be a lot longer than 2cm. 
    Respect to anything which eats slugs though.
    Devon.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    yes - HH says it's 150cm  - or about 5ft :) sounds terrifying

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    @Pete8  :D omg if it was I would of never picked it up lol, in fact would of probably ran in the other direction. 150 mm was actually what I meant but ran out of edit time when I realised  :)

    @Dovefromabove not that one sorry this one definitely has golden brown single solid line all down its back.

    I've had it out to play again this morning and to get a better look it's body when moving around is 3-4mm and the head end then goes nearly to a point.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hmmm ..........https://peerj.com/articles/297/...

    Platydemus manokwarijpg

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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