Zut alors! What is this flatworm in my escargot?

Voracious feeder: The invasive New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari) has a huge appetite for snails. ¿ Photo from AFP

An invasive species of flatworms from South-East Asia is threatening to decimate a European culinary delicacy.

Snails, one of France’s signature dishes, could be off the menu if the country fails to stem an invasion by a slimy worm from South-East Asia. The warning is being sounded over a voracious species called the New Guinea flatworm. It is already on a list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world as it has a relentless appetite for native snails and earthworms in places where it has been introduced.