Flatworm invasive species turned up in the mainland of US

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FRANCE: The New Guinea flatworm, which eats snails and earthworms, has already made its way to France, Puerto Rico, Tahiti and other nations
One of the most notorious invasive species in the world has turned up in the mainland United States, raising new concerns about a flatworm that devours snails and earthworms, researchers said Tuesday.
Known as the New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari), the slimy creature has already made its way to France, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Tahiti and other nations, according to the study in the journal PeerJ.
Now it has been spotted in several gardens in Miami, Florida, and experts fear that it may upset the local ecosystem by eating earthworms and native snails that are important for soil and plants. The flatworm, which is native to the island of New Guinea, also doesn’t have many known predators. Birds are turned off by its strong taste.
“This should be considered a significant threat to the whole of the US and even to the rest of the Americas,” said the study led by Jean-Lou Justine of the Institute of Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity in Paris.