DISTRIBUTION AND PREVALENCE OF THE PREDATORY PLANARIAN ARTIOPOSTHIA-TRIANGULATA (DENDY) (TRICLADIDA, TERRICOLA) IN SCOTLAND

The distribution of the New Zealand flatworm (Artioposthia triangulata ) in Scotland was surveyed between July 1991 and February 1993. There were 348 records from domestic gardens, 56 from botanic gardens, garde n centres and nurseries, with only 13 from farms. Although most of the records came from around the major cities the flatworm was found to h ave become established throughout the Scottish mainland and some of th e Islands, e.g. Bute, Gigha, Orkney and Skye. The impact of the flatwo rm on earthworm populations in agricultural land in Scotland was, as y et, found to be minimal but the fact that seven adjacent farms near Du noon were infected suggested it could be spread from farm to farm and that in the West of Scotland it could become widespread in agricultura l land.