Bipalium

Bipalium is a genus of large predatory land planarians. They are often loosely called "hammerhead worms" or "broadhead planarians" because of the distinctive shape of their head region. Land planarians are unique in that they possess a "creeping sole", a highly ciliated region on the ventral epidermis that helps them to creep over the substrate. Native to Asia, several species are invasive to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Some studies have begun the investigation of the evolutionary ecology of these invasive planarians.

Bipalium
Model of Bipalium strubelli
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Subfamily: Bipaliinae
Genus: Bipalium
Stimpson, 1857
Type species
Bipalium fuscatum
Stimpson, 1857
Synonyms
  • Sphyrocephalus Schmarda, 1859
  • Dunlopea Wright, 1860
  • Bipaliura Stimpson, 1861
  • Perocephalus von Graff, 1896 (in part)
  • Placocephalus von Graff, 1896 (in part)
  • Sphaerocephalus Loman, 1888
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