title: The invasive land planarian Platydemus manokwari (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae): records from six new localities, including the first in the USA.
abstract: The land planarian Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1963 or "New Guinea flatworm" is a highly invasive species, mainly in the Pacific area, and recently in Europe (France). We report specimens from six additional countries and territories: New Caledonia (including mainland and two of the Loyalty Islands, Lifou and Maré), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Puerto Rico, and Florida, USA. We analysed the COI gene (barcoding) in these specimens with two sets of primers and obtained 909 bp long sequences. In addition, specimens collected in Townsville (Australia) were also sequenced. Two haplotypes of the COI sequence, differing by 3.7%, were detected: the "World haplotype" found in France, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Singapore, Florida and Puerto Rico; and the "Australian haplotype" found in Australia. The only locality with both haplotypes was in the Solomon Islands. The country of origin of Platydemus manokwari is New Guinea, and Australia and the Solomon Islands are the countries closest to New Guinea from which we had specimens. These results suggest that two haplotypes exist in the area of origin of the species, but that only one of the two haplotypes (the "World haplotype") has, through human agency, been widely dispersed. However, since P. manokwari is now recorded from 22 countries in the world and we have genetic information from only 8 of these, with none from New Guinea, this analysis provides only partial knowledge of the genetic structure of the invasive species. Morphological analysis of specimens from both haplotypes has shown some differences in ratio of the genital structures but did not allow us to interpret the haplotypes as different species. The new reports from Florida and Puerto Rico are firsts for the USA, for the American continent, and the Caribbean. P. manokwari is a known threat for endemic terrestrial molluscs and its presence is a matter of concern. While most of the infected territories reported until now were islands, the newly reported presence of the species in mainland US in Florida should be considered a potential major threat to the whole US and even the Americas.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR7205 CNRS, EPHE, MNHN, UPMC, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Jean-Lou
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Justine
authors.affiliation: College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University , Townsville , Australia.
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Winsor
authors.affiliation: Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Calédonie (CEN NC), Pôle Espèces Envahissantes (PEE) , Koné , New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrière
authors.affiliation: Biosecurity Solomon Islands, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock , Honiara , Solomon Islands.
authors.forename: Crispus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fanai
authors.affiliation: Service de Systématique Moléculaire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gey
authors.affiliation: SingHealth Polyclinics, Marine Parade , Marine Parade Central , Singapore.
authors.forename: Andrew Wee Kien
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Universidad de Puerto Rico , San Juan, Puerto Rico , USA.
authors.forename: Giomara
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Quay-Velázquez
authors.affiliation: Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, University of Kent , United Kingdom ; National Parks Board , Singapore.
authors.forename: Benjamin Paul Yi-Hann
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Environnement et Cadre de Vie , Ville de Caen, Caen , France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lefevre
authors.affiliation: Délégation à la Recherche, Gouvernement de la Polynésie française , Papeete, Tahiti , French Polynesia.
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: FREDON de Basse Normandie , Hérouville-Saint-Clair , France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Philippart
authors.affiliation: USDA APHIS National Malacology Laboratory, Academy of Natural Sciences , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Service du Patrimoine Naturel, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thévenot
authors.affiliation: Biosecurity Solomon Islands, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock , Honiara , Solomon Islands.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsatsia
keywords: Alien species; Flatworm; French Polynesia; Invasive species; Land planarian; New Caledonia; Puerto Rico; Singapore; Solomon Island; USA