First record of Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822 (Mollusca, Achatinidae), for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Janine Oliveira Arruda,Lúcio Santos

doi:10.5007/2175-7925.2022.e85055

Abstract

Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, is here officially recorded for the first time for Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. It is now known to occur in every Brazilian state. The species is on the list of the 100 worst invasive species in the world. One young specimen of giant African snail was found in a garden of a residential building in the municipality of Porto Alegre. A hypothesis is that it was accidentally introduced through gardening. It can cause economic losses and diseases in human beings.

Highlights

Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, popularly known as the giant African snail, is on the list of the 100 worst invasive species in the world (LOWE et al, 2004)
We present the first official record of A. fulica for Rio Grande do Sul state, the only Brazilian state lacking the presence of this non-native invasive species
The human being is an important factor for establishment and dispersion of this species, which is more abundant in areas with high human density (ALBUQUERQUE et al, 2008)

Summary

Introduction

Achatina fulica Bowdich, 1822, popularly known as the giant African snail, is on the list of the 100 worst invasive species in the world (LOWE et al, 2004). It is originally from the African continent, where it occurs from Natal and Mozambique in southern Kenya to Italian Somalia in the north (FISCHER; COLLEY, 2005). Nowadays, this species is widespread on Indian Ocean islands and in Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia and the American continent (ALBUQUERQUE et al, 2008) and is present in 65 countries or territories around the world. It is one of the most devastating pests in tropical and subtropical regions, causing great damage to farms, commercial plantations and domestic gardens (ALBUQUERQUE et al, 2008)

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