Smith, Ashley W, 1948-: News; A Dunedin motorway project is under threat from a rare worm that dissolves the innards of its prey. 13 April 2011

Text reads 'News - a Dunedin motorway project is under threat from a rare worm that dissolves the innards of its prey'. The drivers of cars that have stopped at the 'stop' sign of a roadworker are horrified to see him lying on the road with a huge hole through his stomach. Context - A rare worm which kills its prey by covering it in a glue-like substance and dissolving the innards is under threat by a project to extend a Dunedin motorway. The peripatus worm, which has been around for 500 million years, lives in a damp forest near Dunedin's Caversham highway, which the New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) plans to extend to four lanes, The Otago Daily Times reported. University of Otago Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Mark said the worm, which is protected by Dunedin City Council staff and Forest and Bird, was "a sort of missing link between worms and the insect group". NZTA project manager Simon Underwood said it would be carrying out an entomological assessment report and would work to "manage" a worm population if one was found. (Stuff 12 April 2011)

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