New Species of Flatworm Found in the United States

A new species of flatworm has been discovered and has spread across several southern states in the United States, writes Phys. Notably, this species closely resembles Obama nungara, a type that has invaded much of Europe. The newly identified species has been named Amaga pseudobama, highlighting this similarity.

An international research team reported the new species' discovery in the journal PeerJ. This team includes scientists from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, Drexel University, North Carolina State University, James Cook University in Australia, and the University of Szczecin in Poland. First observed in North Carolina in 2020, Amaga pseudobama is a brown flatworm a few centimeters long.

Initially, researchers believed the species belonged to Obama nungara based on photos they received. This invasive species is originally from Brazil and Argentina and has also spread across Europe.

A molecular study, delayed due to the 2020 lockdowns, indicated significant differences from Obama nungara. Following this, researchers conducted a thorough morphological analysis and mapped the complete mitochondrial genome.

Like Obama nungara, Amaga pseudobama originates from South America, but it has not been reported or analyzed there. Apart from North Carolina, this species is found in Florida and Georgia, with potential presence in other states. It joins other invasive flatworms, such as Platydemus manokwari, already noted in the Southern United States.

The similarity between Amaga pseudobama and Obama nungara could hinder efforts to understand the species’ distribution using citizen science data. It often relies on photos from the public, making it difficult to differentiate between the two species.

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