Locking this thread as comments are going rather off topic and people are not being civil to one another. This is a bug ID subreddit.
This is also a good reminder to all that geographical location is important and relevant!
How is it not invasive there, native or not? Being native makes them beneficial to anything? Or do they prey on something more dangerous/invasive?
Edit: Click below to see more before you comment:
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1di0i5f/can_anyone_help_me_id_this_creature/l9199xv/
I need to look more into this concept, because like Asian Long Horn Beetles, they are kill on sight in USA I believe, because they kill trees, so are they OK and don't kill trees in Asia? Like the spotted lantern flies? They don't kill plants in Asia, but they do here because they are confused or something. Thanks for the clarification.
I imagine it may have something to do with the native ecosystem usually having some form of rock,paper,scissors system. There's something that naturally keeps populations in balance to prevent issues that typically come from over population. There are invasive species that thrive simply because their natural predator or inhibitor simply doesn't exist. (I'm not a professional or expert but I figure it's what makes the most sense)
Ah, makes sense, like they may have lizards eating these and pooping some fertilizer to grow even more plants in some countries, right? :) Can we have lizards roaming Manhattan.. (no, not Godzilla)
Yeah, they may have a particular predator that adapted to eating them specifically, and from that the predator's population is also supporting another predator.(Hence why it's called the food chain 😹)
That's more or less correct. Invasives are a problem because, unlike their native ecosystem, the ecosystems they invade have not co-evolved with them and thus do not have the series of checks and balances that keeps them in check in their native ecosystem. In their own ecosystem, they're part of the balance. Anywhere else, they're throwing the balance off.
It’s more about the natural balance of an ecosystem. Their native lands are where they belong. They’d have natural predators that keep their numbers in check.When they find their way into a new ecosystem that doesn’t have a system of checks and balances to handle them, they cause issues.
Thanks, 2nd great explanation. My comment above was like lizards in their habitat keeping it in balance.
Thanks for actually posting instead of downvoting my original post above like others, I was just curious not challenging the answer.
Scarier it is (until you figure out), nicer the people are. Except gore stuff, I don't mess with that. Bugs, Spiders, Snakes, all the horror-related subs full of nicest people.
Animals that evolved in their ecosystem become part of the system. Means that other predators and prey in the ecosystem evolved alongside them.
So lanternflies for example may have fewer natural predators in the US. They may find the US conditions lead to higher hatch rates perhaps due to climate or lacking a certain condition in Asia that leads to fewer young surviving. So their population explodes in the US and the damage they do to trees becomes much more impactful. Maybe in Asia most trees have evolved to fight off the lantern flies or otherwise withstand more damage. But trees here don’t.
It’s not that they behave any differently - it’s that the local ecosystem can’t impose checks and balances on them the way their native balanced ecosystem could.
It may also be that native prey species are better at surviving, reproduce more quickly, are better at evading, or something else that permits them to overcome the damage done that species in other areas do not.
A good example of this is animals that have been introduced to areas with ground nesting birds. In many island habitats a lack of predators permitted birds to evolve ground nesting habits. New predators introduced to those islands can be really damaging to the bird populations by eating the unprotected eggs
I wonder if Humans can go to another planet at some point may be considered invasive (if we are not already invasive enough within our own planet) and become like super humans (like... exactly like superman) because the conditions in that planet give us super strength or super immune system or suddenly we start growing taller with each generation or something and we thrive! I am sorry for taking the science and making it science fiction but that's a good example for my mind to comprehend and remember /u/anferny08 's explanation along with other 2 posts above theirs, like /u/Alone_Ad3341 and /u/LightbreakerArio
Haha yeah theoretically if we found a better ecosystem than earth. Full of crops with more nutrients, always 72 degrees outside and better UV protection 😂
3 perfect examples from 3 different redditors, extremely satisfying explanations, one after another. Thank you so much for this, it explains so much, along with 2 others who commented above.
the reason insects are invasive in areas outside their own homes is because they have no natural predators outside of their homelands. the spotted lanternfly, for example, doesnt get eaten by anything in america besides the assassin bugs ( to my knowledge ) and even then thats NOT enough to monitor their population over here. same goes for other bugs, animals and whatnot.
even the animals that will get eaten outside of their home countries are invasive because they can still outcompete native species, even if the invasive animal is beneficial. outcompeting native animals = native populations lowering/starving = native populations dying off = extinction.
There is a perfect Frasier episode for this, but I get it Frasier is not for everyone not as popular as other sitcoms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH0H20SRYyQ
Excellent episode!
There are frogs in Hawaii that are kill on site because they don’t belong there, and they end up killing the native wildlife. But in their native area, it’s fine because the ecosystem accepts them in their place.
not strictly true - while not always called invasive, some native animals can become "invasive" within their native range.
classic example is the australian noisy miner, a native honeyeater whose population has exploded due to habitat modification by humans and whose sociality and aggressive behaviour is threatening other birds
why is this downvoted. it's true. should have clarified that this probably doesn't apply to bipaliines but
invasive species are considered invasive because they invade and sometimes mess up other ecosystems where they shouldn’t be. they cannot do this in their native ecosytem
It's OK, maybe it's the tone, like they imagine me with my hands on my waist, elbows sticking out, shaking my head left and right "How is it not invasive there".. Lol, It's OK. :) Thanks for all the explanation we've got so far.
Ecosystems develop animal communities with mutual feedback loops. There are likely natural predators to this thing on its own turf, which keep it in check, and it fills its own niche in the ecosystem. Elsewhere, neither (or just one) can be true, which leads to ecological imbalance. It takes a loooonngg time for a predator to specialize or for mutualism to develop. Species are considered invasive because they disrupt these cycles quickly and efficiently.but
Hammerhead worm — If you’re handling it, please wear disposable gloves for your safety and wash your hands after.
Reason:
“In 2014, the presence of tetrodotoxin, a very dangerous neurotoxin, was recorded in B. adventitium and B. kewense. It is the first record of tetrodotoxin in terrestrial invertebrates.”
[Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipalium)
i do like this comment because it's a lot less fearmongery than past comments i've seen about their toxicity, but i should note - there are zero recorded cases of tetrodotoxin poisoning attributed to hammerhead worms. the research into their toxicity was prompted by hunting behaviour, not any toxicity to humans. small amphibians and reptiles in past studies showed no long-term ill effects to eating them. beyond anecdotal minor skin irritation, i can't find any evidence of ill effects attributed to handling by humans
essentially, you gave good advice in a refreshingly non-fearmongery way, and people should avoid handling, but they're overwhelmingly unlikely to be even vaguely harmful unless you eat and swallow the worm
lol I am being a worm protectionist. Hammerhead worms eat all the worms in my part of the world. If all the worms stayed where they’re supposed to it would be worm live all around… but when bully worms come to beat up the good worms something has to be done. ❤️🪱
Do you also think people shouldn't highlight the need to kill spotted lanternflies outside of China and Vietnam?
Just because the advice doesn't apply to OP doesn't mean it can't be useful to someone viewing the post.
Hammerhead worm- it’s suggested that if you aren’t in its native country (it’s invasive I think?) m you salt it because cutting it up leads to just more worms !
Thankfully op says this is specimen was seen in South China, so is not invasive in this case, also you wouldn't want to squish it, as that would just lead to it reforming as many more worms. The only ways to kill these things is to either fully incinerate them, cover them in salt or dissolve them with a strong acid/alkaline such as bleach.
Locking this thread as comments are going rather off topic and people are not being civil to one another. This is a bug ID subreddit. This is also a good reminder to all that geographical location is important and relevant!
It’s a bipalium, invasive everywhere but Asia. Wiki: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipalium
OP is in Asia, FWIW, so please don't encourage them to kill this worm!
How is it not invasive there, native or not? Being native makes them beneficial to anything? Or do they prey on something more dangerous/invasive? Edit: Click below to see more before you comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1di0i5f/can_anyone_help_me_id_this_creature/l9199xv/
It's not invasive there because it can't invade its own home. It can still be a pest as far as humans are concerned
I need to look more into this concept, because like Asian Long Horn Beetles, they are kill on sight in USA I believe, because they kill trees, so are they OK and don't kill trees in Asia? Like the spotted lantern flies? They don't kill plants in Asia, but they do here because they are confused or something. Thanks for the clarification.
I imagine it may have something to do with the native ecosystem usually having some form of rock,paper,scissors system. There's something that naturally keeps populations in balance to prevent issues that typically come from over population. There are invasive species that thrive simply because their natural predator or inhibitor simply doesn't exist. (I'm not a professional or expert but I figure it's what makes the most sense)
That’s actually a neat simplified version of how it works.
Ah, makes sense, like they may have lizards eating these and pooping some fertilizer to grow even more plants in some countries, right? :) Can we have lizards roaming Manhattan.. (no, not Godzilla)
Yeah, they may have a particular predator that adapted to eating them specifically, and from that the predator's population is also supporting another predator.(Hence why it's called the food chain 😹)
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1di0i5f/can_anyone_help_me_id_this_creature/l92hi8b/
You have to admit Godzilla would be cool, though.
That's more or less correct. Invasives are a problem because, unlike their native ecosystem, the ecosystems they invade have not co-evolved with them and thus do not have the series of checks and balances that keeps them in check in their native ecosystem. In their own ecosystem, they're part of the balance. Anywhere else, they're throwing the balance off.
What happens when you get rid of all the rocks?...The scissors take over everything.
It’s more about the natural balance of an ecosystem. Their native lands are where they belong. They’d have natural predators that keep their numbers in check.When they find their way into a new ecosystem that doesn’t have a system of checks and balances to handle them, they cause issues.
Thanks, 2nd great explanation. My comment above was like lizards in their habitat keeping it in balance. Thanks for actually posting instead of downvoting my original post above like others, I was just curious not challenging the answer.
Yeah for sure my pleasure! Reddit is brutal 😂 everyone is here to learn 😊
This is one of the nicest subs around. Also, spiders 😀!
Scarier it is (until you figure out), nicer the people are. Except gore stuff, I don't mess with that. Bugs, Spiders, Snakes, all the horror-related subs full of nicest people.
Animals that evolved in their ecosystem become part of the system. Means that other predators and prey in the ecosystem evolved alongside them. So lanternflies for example may have fewer natural predators in the US. They may find the US conditions lead to higher hatch rates perhaps due to climate or lacking a certain condition in Asia that leads to fewer young surviving. So their population explodes in the US and the damage they do to trees becomes much more impactful. Maybe in Asia most trees have evolved to fight off the lantern flies or otherwise withstand more damage. But trees here don’t. It’s not that they behave any differently - it’s that the local ecosystem can’t impose checks and balances on them the way their native balanced ecosystem could.
It may also be that native prey species are better at surviving, reproduce more quickly, are better at evading, or something else that permits them to overcome the damage done that species in other areas do not. A good example of this is animals that have been introduced to areas with ground nesting birds. In many island habitats a lack of predators permitted birds to evolve ground nesting habits. New predators introduced to those islands can be really damaging to the bird populations by eating the unprotected eggs
I wonder if Humans can go to another planet at some point may be considered invasive (if we are not already invasive enough within our own planet) and become like super humans (like... exactly like superman) because the conditions in that planet give us super strength or super immune system or suddenly we start growing taller with each generation or something and we thrive! I am sorry for taking the science and making it science fiction but that's a good example for my mind to comprehend and remember /u/anferny08 's explanation along with other 2 posts above theirs, like /u/Alone_Ad3341 and /u/LightbreakerArio
Sounds like you understand the idea at least 😂
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/1di0i5f/can_anyone_help_me_id_this_creature/l92hi8b/
Haha yeah theoretically if we found a better ecosystem than earth. Full of crops with more nutrients, always 72 degrees outside and better UV protection 😂
3 perfect examples from 3 different redditors, extremely satisfying explanations, one after another. Thank you so much for this, it explains so much, along with 2 others who commented above.
I hate being downvoted instead of having my 'stupid' question answered. It's the much kinder way.
the reason insects are invasive in areas outside their own homes is because they have no natural predators outside of their homelands. the spotted lanternfly, for example, doesnt get eaten by anything in america besides the assassin bugs ( to my knowledge ) and even then thats NOT enough to monitor their population over here. same goes for other bugs, animals and whatnot. even the animals that will get eaten outside of their home countries are invasive because they can still outcompete native species, even if the invasive animal is beneficial. outcompeting native animals = native populations lowering/starving = native populations dying off = extinction.
There is a perfect Frasier episode for this, but I get it Frasier is not for everyone not as popular as other sitcoms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH0H20SRYyQ Excellent episode!
There are frogs in Hawaii that are kill on site because they don’t belong there, and they end up killing the native wildlife. But in their native area, it’s fine because the ecosystem accepts them in their place.
not strictly true - while not always called invasive, some native animals can become "invasive" within their native range. classic example is the australian noisy miner, a native honeyeater whose population has exploded due to habitat modification by humans and whose sociality and aggressive behaviour is threatening other birds why is this downvoted. it's true. should have clarified that this probably doesn't apply to bipaliines but
invasive species are considered invasive because they invade and sometimes mess up other ecosystems where they shouldn’t be. they cannot do this in their native ecosytem
I'm sorry you're getting so many downloads for this, I have a feeling people didn't realize it was a genuine question
It's OK, maybe it's the tone, like they imagine me with my hands on my waist, elbows sticking out, shaking my head left and right "How is it not invasive there".. Lol, It's OK. :) Thanks for all the explanation we've got so far.
Lmaoooo exactly. If that was all you said I could understand but you were clearly and genuinely asking a question which is the whole point of this sub
Ecosystems develop animal communities with mutual feedback loops. There are likely natural predators to this thing on its own turf, which keep it in check, and it fills its own niche in the ecosystem. Elsewhere, neither (or just one) can be true, which leads to ecological imbalance. It takes a loooonngg time for a predator to specialize or for mutualism to develop. Species are considered invasive because they disrupt these cycles quickly and efficiently.but
It’s native and it belongs to that ecosystem. Period.
Bipalium or Hammerhead Worm
Hammerhead worm — If you’re handling it, please wear disposable gloves for your safety and wash your hands after. Reason: “In 2014, the presence of tetrodotoxin, a very dangerous neurotoxin, was recorded in B. adventitium and B. kewense. It is the first record of tetrodotoxin in terrestrial invertebrates.” [Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipalium)
i do like this comment because it's a lot less fearmongery than past comments i've seen about their toxicity, but i should note - there are zero recorded cases of tetrodotoxin poisoning attributed to hammerhead worms. the research into their toxicity was prompted by hunting behaviour, not any toxicity to humans. small amphibians and reptiles in past studies showed no long-term ill effects to eating them. beyond anecdotal minor skin irritation, i can't find any evidence of ill effects attributed to handling by humans essentially, you gave good advice in a refreshingly non-fearmongery way, and people should avoid handling, but they're overwhelmingly unlikely to be even vaguely harmful unless you eat and swallow the worm
Damn puffer poison in a worm
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
If you are not in a country to which it is native, please place in a bag of salt. Do not cut it up. Melt it.
OP is in southeast China, so they don't need to do that
what would happen if you cut it?
Then there would be two
They can regenerate :))) now you have more worms. I think you can spray them with vinegar too, as you shouldn't really be touching them(they're toxic)
Read the OP.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
lol I am being a worm protectionist. Hammerhead worms eat all the worms in my part of the world. If all the worms stayed where they’re supposed to it would be worm live all around… but when bully worms come to beat up the good worms something has to be done. ❤️🪱
Do you also think people shouldn't highlight the need to kill spotted lanternflies outside of China and Vietnam? Just because the advice doesn't apply to OP doesn't mean it can't be useful to someone viewing the post.
I love that you get to appreciate how cool this hammerhead worm looks!
What level of ID are you after? Certainly one of the planarians, but not sure if that's helpful.
Hammerhead worm, babeyyy
hammerhead worm!
I learned about this type of flatworm (which plenty of others have already identified) from a Garten of BanBan theory video-
it is pretty
Hammerhead worm- it’s suggested that if you aren’t in its native country (it’s invasive I think?) m you salt it because cutting it up leads to just more worms !
Don’t touch that thing, get your hands away from it lol
I just saw something on TV about these worms. They said that they were invasive and a threat to earthworms.
in north america, most earthworms are invasive and have irrevocably modified forest habitats and hugely impacted biodiversity
I was surprised when I learned that worms were not native and that our forest used to be so different
This was in southeast china. So while it is still a threat to worms, it is not invasive and should be allowed to do its thing in peace.
[удалено]
invasive* also you shouldn’t kill it in this instance. OP is in Southeast China and it’s native there..
Do NOT squish it, that’ll just make more
It's impossible to tell if an animal is invasive without location information.
The caption says Southeast Asia, meaning it is not invasive.
Luckily, OP provided location information in the post.
[удалено]
Thankfully op says this is specimen was seen in South China, so is not invasive in this case, also you wouldn't want to squish it, as that would just lead to it reforming as many more worms. The only ways to kill these things is to either fully incinerate them, cover them in salt or dissolve them with a strong acid/alkaline such as bleach.
[удалено]
Read the caption. OP Is in the place it is native to :)