By Stephen Beech via SWNS
America has been invaded by a new “alien” species of worm, reveals new research.
The dark-colored creature was first spotted in a North Carolina nursery in 2020.
It was subsequently identified as a new species.
The flatworms – just a few centimeters long – have since been discovered in several states of the southern US.
Scientists believe that it originated in South America – but they’re not sure exactly which country it comes from,
They say the new species looks a lot like another flatworm called Obama nungara, a species that has invaded much of Europe.
The new species has been named Amaga pseudobama in reference to the resemblance.
An international research team included scientists from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, Drexel University and North Carolina State University in the United States, James Cook University in Australia plus the University of Szczecin in Poland.
They reported their findings in the journal PeerJ.
The flatworm first spotted in North Carolina was subsequently identified as a new species by Dr. Leigh Winsor, of James Cook University.
Study author Professor Jean-Lou Justine said: “This research must be placed in the context of invasive species.
“Often these species proliferate in the country where they were introduced while they are unknown in the country of origin.
“This is the case with Amaga pseudobama.”
Justine, of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, added: “We think that the species comes from South America, but it has never been found there.
“And we do not know which country it comes from.”
Justine says the first information received about the species was photos.
The team at first believed that the specimen belonged to the species Obama nungara, an invasive flatworm native to Brazil and Argentina that has invaded much of Europe.
But, following a molecular study, delayed by the lockdowns of 2020, Justine said it became clear that the species was “very different” from Obama nungara.
The research team then carried out a detailed morphological analysis and a molecular study, including the description of the complete mitogenome, and named it Amaga pseudobama, to mark its resemblance to Obama nungara.
Justine said: “Like Obama nungara, the new species Amaga pseudobama comes from South America.
“However, it has never been seen or analyzed in South America.
“Apart from North Carolina, the species is also present in Florida, Georgia, and may have already invaded other states.
“This new species joins other invasive flatworm species discovered in the Southern United States, including Platydemus manokwari.”
He added: “The resemblance of Amaga pseudobama to Obama nungara will be an obstacle to understanding the distribution of the species from citizen science data, which is usually based on photos taken by members of the public, since it will be impossible to distinguish the two species.”
