First record of Helix lucorum (Gastropoda: Helicidae) in Western Ukraine, with remarks on its present distribution in other parts of the country

Abstract

In the west of Ukraine, the Turkish snail Helix lucorum was first discovered in 2020 at one of the household plots in Chortkiv, Ternopil region. It was found that the owner of the house specially brought snails from France for his children. Until the beginning of the 21st century, H. lucorum was known in Ukraine only from the mountainous Crimea, where it was presumably brought by Greek colonists. The distribution area of this species in Crimea gradually expanded, in particular, due to targeted introductions. Since 2010, single population of H. lucorum have been recorded in Ukraine outside of Crimea. Judging by the shell colouration, only some of them could have been founded by individuals from the Crimea, with almost unnoticeable spiral banding and distinct radial streaks. Other populations are of unclear origin, and their founders may have been brought from different parts of the present range of H. lucorum. In particular, shells with wide dark, often fused bands and a distinct light gap between them on the shell periphery are characteristic of most known introduced European populations of H. lucorum, and are also common in the Krasnodar region of Russia, from where they could have been introduced to the east of Crimea (Kerch Peninsula).