predatory terrestrial planarians

[William at]

Douglas Yanega wrote:

> Yesterday I saw one of the most amazing things ever in my life, as I
> watched a black-and-yellow racing-striped planarian chase a slug up a tree,
> catch it, wrap around it, and kill it. Since there isn't any "terrestrial
> planarian" mailing list, I thought I'd solicit here if anyone knows of this
> beastie - name, distribution, known prey habits, etc.

Doug,

In view of where you are, there are probably a lot of possibilities.  But check
the invert zoo textbooks of _Bipalium kewense_.  That's a tropicopolitan tramp,
also widely intorduced in the warm tempearate zones.

Will

--
Dr. William L. Pratt, Curator of Invertebrates
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Box 4012
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4012
(702)895-1403, fax (702)895-3094 e-mail prattw at nevada.edu