Carnivorous worm approaching: German gardens also threatened?

Hobby gardeners may soon have to prepare for a new garden pest: a carnivorous worm. You can find out where it comes from and where it can be found here.

• A carnivorous worm is spreading across Europe.
• It could upset the ecological balance .
• But how does it get to Europe?

After hobby gardeners had already made friends with the boxwood borer *, there is now a new animal that is spreading across Europe: the Obama nungara . It is a flatworm that comes from South America and has a special preference: meat.

Carnivorous worm from South America in Europe: That could be a problem

Hobby gardeners will be happy to hear that the Obama nungara is not after your plants - and it is also safe for humans. Nevertheless, its presence does not necessarily bring advantages. The flatworm feeds on snails, earthworms, small animals and insects, which are extremely important for the ecological balance . For example, earthworms loosen the soil and compost autumn leaves. Since the Obama nungara knows no natural predators in Europe, it can reproduce unhindered and thus damage the local biodiversity * even more.

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Obama nungara in Europe: It already exists in these countries

It has been known for a few years that the Obama nungara is now hovering around Europe. However, the latest figures from a French-Australian research team led by parasitologist Jean-Lou Justine have now revealed how far the carnivorous worm has actually progressed.

In the journal "PeerJ", the scientists report that the flatworm is particularly widespread in France: it has already populated 75 percent of the departments . In one case, the biologists even discovered a hundred specimens of the worm in a garden. In addition, the worms were discovered in Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland . It is not known whether the Obama nungara has already migrated to Germany.

Also interesting : Because of the mild winter: This garden pest could come to you.

How did the carnivorous worm get to Europe?

The researchers suspect that the flatworm reached Europe via the soil substrate from South American plants that were brought across the Atlantic.

Obama nungara: That's what the name stands for

In case you're wondering about the name Obama nungara, it has nothing to do with the ex-president of the United States. The name is composed of the words "oba" for leaf and "ma" for animal. The terms come from the old South American language Tupi.

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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.