Hammerhead Worm | National Invasive Species Information Center

Scientific Name

Bipalium kewense Moseley, 1878 (ITIS)

Common Name

Hammerhead worm, land planarian, shovel-headed garden worm

Native To

Date of U.S. Introduction

Means of Introduction

Movement of infested plants and soil (Ducey et al. 2006)

Impact

Predator of earthworms, could potentially impact agricultural, horticultural, and natural ecosystems (Lemos et al. 2012)

Shovel-headed garden worm; unknown life stage

Credit

Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University

Source

Find more images

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Shovel-Headed Garden Worm
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
- Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Partnership

Hammerhead Worms [PDF, 740 KB]
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
- See also: EDDMapS - Shovel-headed garden worm for more information
TISI Inventory - Hammerhead Flatworm / Hammerhead Slug
- Texas State University System. Texas Invasive Species Institute.

Academic

Hammerhead Worms: New to Some, a Pest to All
- Apr 2023
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
- Last year, the gardening world was set ablaze with the hot topic of the hammerhead worm—an invasive flatworm. With the arrival of spring temperatures, Alabama Cooperative Extension System professionals say these worms are back and here to stay.
Hammerhead Flatworms and Other Land Planaria of Eastern North America
- May 2022
- Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.
Entomology Insect Notes - Terrestrial Flatworms, Land Planarians & Hammerhead Worms
- Dec 2020
- North Carolina State University. Cooperative Extension.
Bug's Eye View - Hammerhead Flatworm
- Sep 2019
- Mississippi State University. Extension.
Hammerhead Worms are an Invasive Species
- Jan 2019
- University of Florida. IFAS Extension. Wakulla County.
Featured Creatures - Land Planarians
- University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Insects in the City - Land Planarians
- Texas A&M University. AgriLife Extension Service.

Citations

Ducey, P.K., J. Cerqua, L. West, and M. Warner. 2006. Rare egg capsule production in the invasive terrestrial planarian Bipalium kewense. Southwestern Naturalist 51(2):252-255.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Bipalium kewense. [Accessed Sep 16, 2023].
Lemos, V.S., R. Canello, and A.M. Leal-Zanchet. 2012. Carnivore mollusks as natural enemies of invasive land flatworms. Annals of Applied Biology 161(2):127-131.