He. 4 / He. 17 Bipalium

            Kingdom         - Animalia

            Phylum            - Platyhelminthes

            Order               - Tricladida

            Family             - Geoplanidae

            Genus              - Bipalium

 Common name: Hammerhead worms

Characters:

            The common name for this pest is very accurate as the head is shaped like a hammerhead shark, but rounded. Bipalium is a terrestrial flatworm with a half-moon shaped head. It is typically light/honey colored, with 1 to 5 dark dorsal stripes (median stripes are thin), and a dark collar that is incomplete in this species. The body is "snake-like" being up to 15 inches long (usually 8-12 inches) and very narrow.

            Like all Bipalium, that have been studied, the hammerhead flatworm is hermaphroditic.  However, sexual reproduction has not been observed. Egg cases have been found. At least in temperate regions, reproduction seems to be primarily achieved through fragmentation: a small rear portion of the worm will pinch off, and "stay behind" as the worm moves forward. Within about 10 days, the head begins to form.