Bankia setacea (Teredinidae)

the shipworms


Adults:

A Bankia worm

Worm-like body with two siphons at the posterior end which protrude into the water. May reach 60 cm in length and 20 mm in diameter.

 

 

 


Damage:

A Bankia worm-eaten driftwood

 

Larvae settle on pilings and logs and bore into them during Oct.-Dec. Wood may become completely honeycombed before the infestation is noticed.

 

 

 

 

Tunnels with a hard white calcareous lining

 

Tunnels are lined with a hard white calcareous material that renders the logs unsuitable for lumber. The calcareous lining is secreted by the mantle of the setacea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Bankia worm holes  
Shipworm damage in piling  



Principal Hosts:

Wooden structures, boats, and log in salt water are subject to damage by marine borers.

Economic Importance:

B. setacea is the most important shipworm in B.C.

References and Links:

FC: 51.