In article , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Malcolm
writes

In article , Janet Baraclough
writes

NZ Flatworms arrived on Arran about 4 years ago.

They've never damaged me when I've handled them though I agree about the
amount of slime. NZ flatworms were first found on Islay in the late
1980s and are presumably still here, though fortunately not in my
garden.

Are they causing as much devastation as was expected? The furore seems
to have died down somewhat. They co-exist with earthworms in NZ.

This from the Central Science Lab website:

"In Scotland, A. triangulatus occurs predominantly in botanical and
domestic gardens, and currently is not generally considered to be a
problem on agricultural land. In Northern Ireland it is found in
domestic gardens but also appears to have colonized grass leys in many
localities.

However, its impact on earthworm populations remains ambiguous, with
evidence of numbers in areas with large NZF populations being reduced
temporarily before recovering to levels recorded prior to invasion.
Other studies have suggested a differential susceptibility of earthworm
species to A. triangulatus predation, with recovering populations
exhibiting an altered species profile. Results of a large-scale survey
of earthworms and A. triangulatus populations in grass fields in
Northern Ireland has shown a marked increase in occurrence of NZF's,
particularly in field margins."


Have a look at the website:

http://www.csl.gov.uk/resdev/environ...ject/index.htm

for lots more information. Click on "Project information" which takes
you to a page with a link to a long (65-page) downloadable final report
on a detailed study of them.

--
Malcolm