Diversibipalium multilineatum

Diversibipalium multilineatum
Diversibipalium multilineatum, head
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Order:	Tricladida
Family:	Geoplanidae
Genus:	Diversibipalium
Species:	D. multilineatum
Binomial name
Diversibipalium multilineatum (Makino & Shirasawa, 1983)
Synonyms
Bipalium multilineatumMakino & Shirasawa, 1983 [1]

Diversibipalium multilineatum is a species of large predatory land flatworm.

The species is native to Japan. ^{[1] [2]} It has been recorded in 2016 for the first time outside Asia, from Bologna, Italy (from a finding in September 2014), and in several localities in France. ^{[3] [4]} More records in 2021 confirmed its presence in various regions of Italy ^[5] and in 2025 in the Netherlands. ^[6] It is thus an alien species to Europe. ^{[3] [6]}

Diversibipalium multilineatum from Italy: Body with distinctive dorsal lines

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  Diversibipalium multilineatum, body
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  Diversibipalium multilineatum, head
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  Diversibipalium multilineatum, head
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  Diversibipalium multilineatum, head
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  Diversibipalium multilineatum, body, ventral view

References

1. Makino N, Shirasawa Y (1983). Morphological and ecological comparison with two new species of elongated-slender land planarians having several stripes and their new scientific names. Bulletin of Tokyo Medical College 9: 69-83 [In Japanese, English summary]
2. Makino, Naoya; Shirasawa, Yasuko (1986). "Biology of long slender land planarians (Turbellaria) in Tokyo and environs". Hydrobiologia. 132 (1): 229–232. Bibcode:1986HyBio.132..229M. doi:10.1007/BF00046253. ISSN   0018-8158.
3. Mazza, Giuseppe; Menchetti, Mattia; Sluys, Ronald; Solà, Eduard; Riutort, Marta; Tricarico, Elena; Justine, Jean-Lou; Cavigioli, Luca; Mori, Emiliano (2016). "First report of the land planarian Diversibipalium multilineatum (Makino & Shirasawa, 1983) (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola) in Europe". Zootaxa. 4067 (5): 577–580. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4067.5.4 . hdl: 11365/1062552 . ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   27395897.
4. Justine, Jean-Lou; Winsor, Leigh; Gey, Delphine; Gros, Pierre; Thévenot, Jessica (2018). "Giant worms chez moi! Hammerhead flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae, Bipalium spp., Diversibipalium spp.) in metropolitan France and overseas French territories". PeerJ. 6 e4672. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4672 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   5969052 . PMID   29844951.
5. Mori, Emiliano; Magoga, Giulia; Panella, Marta; Montagna, Matteo; Winsor, Leigh; Justine, Jean-Lou; Menchetti, Mattia; Schifani, Enrico; Melone, Beatrice; Mazza, Giuseppe (2021-09-26). "Discovering the Pandora's box: the invasion of alien flatworms in Italy". Biological Invasions. 24: 205–216. doi:10.1007/s10530-021-02638-w. ISSN   1387-3547.
6. de Waart, Sytske A.; Vanhove, Maarten P. M.; Justine, Jean-Lou; Kmentová, Nikol (2025-07-08). "Going Dutch: European distribution of non-native land flatworm species belonging to Geoplaninae and Bipaliinae with focus on the Netherlands". NeoBiota. 99: 285–321. doi: 10.3897/neobiota.99.145703 . ISSN   1314-2488.