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From The Times
July 10, 2008

Worms sucked in by predator with blade-like teeth

A Ghost Slug or Selenochlamys ysbryda, as named by experts at National Museum Cardiff

A carnivorous slug that kills worms with its blade-like teeth, sucking them in like spaghetti, has been found in Britain.

The ghost slug, which hunts at night, is a new species similar to ones found in Turkey and Georgia. It turned up in gardens in Cardiff and Caerphilly, possibly after arriving in plant pots. The slug has been named selenochlamys ysbryda by the National Museum, Cardiff – from the Welsh for ghost, ysbryd.

A museum spokeswoman said: “It has no eyes, is completely white and lives underground, squeezing its body into cracks to get at the worms.”

Almost Alien someone said.??????
Be afraid very afraid what with this and unidentified bugs down South, what next?

KeithW, Wirral, UK

I live in Ashbourne, Derbyshire,and had a very healthy compost bin full of composting worms. Suddenly they all disappeared. 3 weeks ago I emptied it completely, and found dozens of very fat white slugs. I have never seen them before, and wondered where they had come from.

Carol Starey, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

These are tough times!

Glynn, Kingston,

scary.... think my pet worm could give a good showing of itself, even against such a worthy opponent..-.

richc, alicante,

Wow... It's almost, Alien?
Hmm.. Look interesting though.

Kirk, Spilsby, UK

Last week I found a slug eating a woodlice in my garden and two days later found a snail munching on a dead slug. So much for eating vegetation.

Caroline Fooks, crawley, uk

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