apple snails
(Genus Pomacea)
Origin
Pomacea spp. are native to both North and South America. Poemacea maculata, Pomacea diffusa, Pomacea haustrum are introduced apple snail species while Poemacea paludosa is native in Florida.
Life Cycle
Apple snails are typically larger than other freshwater snails and are distinguishable by the umbilicus (the axially aligned, hollow, cone-shaped space within the whorls of a coiled mollusk shell) of the shell broadly open. Pomacea spp. lay clusters of egg masses above the water line on solid objects that vary in color (i.e., white, green, or pink to red eggs) based on species.
Distribution
All Pomacea spp. are tropical/subtropical and cannot withstand water temperatures below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). P. maculate is the most common apple snail likely introduced as an escaped pet and is currently established in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. P. diffusa was introduced to southern Florida as an aquarium species and is now established in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. P. haustrum is only found in southeastern Florida.
Control Efforts
No effective chemical management has been developed, however, hand removal or mechanical removal is the most effective management option for apple snails. Scraping egg masses and allowing them to fall into water is another option yet only pink egg masses should be scrapped. White egg masses are native P. paludosa eggs and should be left undisturbed.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/gastro/apple_snails.htm
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in598
Pomacea spp. are native to both North and South America. Poemacea maculata, Pomacea diffusa, Pomacea haustrum are introduced apple snail species while Poemacea paludosa is native in Florida.
Life Cycle
Apple snails are typically larger than other freshwater snails and are distinguishable by the umbilicus (the axially aligned, hollow, cone-shaped space within the whorls of a coiled mollusk shell) of the shell broadly open. Pomacea spp. lay clusters of egg masses above the water line on solid objects that vary in color (i.e., white, green, or pink to red eggs) based on species.
Distribution
All Pomacea spp. are tropical/subtropical and cannot withstand water temperatures below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). P. maculate is the most common apple snail likely introduced as an escaped pet and is currently established in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. P. diffusa was introduced to southern Florida as an aquarium species and is now established in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. P. haustrum is only found in southeastern Florida.
Control Efforts
No effective chemical management has been developed, however, hand removal or mechanical removal is the most effective management option for apple snails. Scraping egg masses and allowing them to fall into water is another option yet only pink egg masses should be scrapped. White egg masses are native P. paludosa eggs and should be left undisturbed.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/gastro/apple_snails.htm
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in598
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Animalia |
| Phylum: Mollusca |
| Class: Gastropoda |
| Subclass: Caenogastropoda |
| Order: Architaenioglossa |
| Superfamily: Ampullarioidea |
| Family: Ampullariidae |
| Subfamily: Pomaceinae |
| Pomacea |
References
Common Name Reference: Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database.
Scientific Name Reference: Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database.