Abstract
Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 is regarded as one of the 100 most invasive species in Europe. The native distribution range of this species is uncertain, but for many years, the Iberian Peninsula has been considered as the area of origin. However, recent studies indicate that A. vulgaris probably originated from France. We have investigated the genetic structure of 33 European populations (Poland, Norway, Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland) of this slug, based on two molecular markers, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI, mtDNA) and nuclear zinc finger (ZF, nDNA). Our investigation included published data from two previous studies, giving a total of 95 populations of A. vulgaris from 26 countries. This comprehensive dataset shows comparable haplotype diversity in Central, North and Western Europe, and significantly lower haplotype diversity in the East. All haplotypes observed in the East can be found in the other regions, and haplotype diversity is highest in the Central and Western region. Moreover, there is strong isolation by distance in Central and Western Europe, and only very little in the East. Furthermore, the number of unique haplotypes was highest in France. This pattern strongly suggests that A. vulgaris has originated from a region spanning from France to Western Germany; hence, the slug is probably alien/invasive in other parts of Europe, where it occurs. Our results indicate the necessity to cover as much of the distribution range of a species as possible before making conclusive assumptions about its origin and alien status.
Highlights
Alien species can have negative effects on natural ecosystems including the displacement of endemic taxa (Sax et al 2005; Davis 2009; Hatteland et al 2013), which in turn can adversely affect food security by impacting ecosystem services
Identification of collected Arion species was done on the basis of morphology of the reproductive system together with molecular confirmation (sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI))
We investigated 39 European populations, 33 of them belong to A. vulgaris (Norway—11, Poland—9, Germany—3, France—4, Denmark—3, Switzerland—3)
Summary
Alien species can have negative effects on natural ecosystems including the displacement of endemic taxa (Sax et al 2005; Davis 2009; Hatteland et al 2013), which in turn can adversely affect food security by impacting ecosystem services. Arion vulgaris MoquinTandon, 1855 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Arionidae), known as the Iberian or Spanish slug, is regarded by DAISIE organization (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) as one of the 100 most invasive species in Europe (Rabitsch 2006). It is of huge economic significance because it causes serious damage to agricultural crops and orchard cultivation resulting in financial losses (Frank 1998; Gren et al 2009; Kozłowski 2010, 2012). A. vulgaris is considered to be common in many European countries, from south to north, and up to now has been reported from France (in 1855), Great Britain (1952), Germany (1970), Slovenia (1970), Italy (1971), Switzerland (1971), Austria (1972), Sweden (1975), Bulgaria (1983), Austria (1984), Norway (1988), Belgium (1989), the Netherlands (1989), Finland (1990), Denmark (1991), Poland (1993), Iceland (2003–2004), Greenland, Latvia, Lithuania, Faroe Islands and Romania (Weidema 2006; Zając et al 2017)
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