Anemotaxis and odour-trail following by the terrestrial snail Helix aspersa

Abstract

Terrestrial snails Helix aspersa that were exposed to moving air containing a relatively uniform concentration of host-plant odour utilized an anemotactic response and oriented upwind toward the odour source. Also, the snails were able to follow a well-defined trail of host-plant odour via olfactory cues in the absence of directional cues from air movement. In the natural environment, these anemotactic and odour-trail-following mechanisms may operate either independently or in combination to enable location of a host plant.