Suitability of Selected Ornamental Plants for Growth and Survival of Lissachatina fulica (Gastropoda: Achatinidae)

Lissachatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822) (Gastropoda: Achatinidae), also known as the giant African land snail, is a plant pest throughout much of the world, including southern Florida, where an established population of this snail was discovered in 2011. Apart from reports that it is polyphagous, food preferences and suitability are not well known. The suitability of 21 ornamental plants commonly grown in Miami, Florida, was tested using snail growth (snail shell height and snail mass) and survival. After hatching, 50 snails were reared for 70 d on each of 24 dietary treatments (21 natural diets and 3 control diets). French marigold ( Tagetes patula [Asteraceae]) was the ornamental plant diet that produced the largest snails (24 mm in shell height), producing snails equivalent in size to 2 of the control diets: romaine lettuce ( Lactuca sativa [Asteraceae]) and synthetic insect diet (gypsy moth). Plants allowing intermediate growth (> 10 mm) were cosmos ( Cosmos bipinnatus [Asteraceae]), salvia ( Salvia splendens [Lamiaceae]) , petra croton ( Codiaeum variegatum [Euphorbiaceae]), zinnia ( Zinnia elegans [Asteraceae]), Texas sage ( Leucophyllum frutescens [Scrophulariaceae]), beach sunflower ( Helianthus debilis [Asteraceae]), lantana ( Lantana camara [Verbenaceae]), kalanchoe ( Kalanchoe blossfeldiana [Crassulaceae]), and butterfly weed ( Asclepias tuberosa [Apocynaceae]). There was a strong positive correlation between survival and plant suitability, as judged by shell height ( r = 0.89). However, some plants tested, such as purslane ( Portulaca oleracea [Portulacaceae]), sunflower ( Helianthus annuus [Asteraceae]), dusty miller ( Centaurea cineraria [Asteraceae]), and oyster plant ( Tradescantia spathacea [Commelinaceae]) only provided minimal growth ( 10 mm) fueron: cosmos ( Cosmos bipinnatus [Asteraceae]), salvia ( Salvia splendens [Lamiaceae]), petra croton ( Codiaeum variegatum [Euphorbiaceae]), zinnia ( Zinnia elegans [Asteraceae]), cenizo Leucophyllum frutescens [Scrophulariaceae]), girasol de playa ( Helianthus debilis [Asteraceae]), lantana ( Lantana camara [Verbenaceae]), kalanchoe ( Kalanchoe blossfeldiana [Crassulaceae]) y la maleza mariposa ( Asclepias tuberosa [Apocynaceae]). Hubo una fuerte correlacion positiva entre la sobrevivencia y la sostenebilidad de las plantas, segun la altura de la concha (r = 0,89). Sin embargo, algunas plantas probadas, como el perejol ( Portulaca oleracea [Portulacaceae]), el girasol ( Helianthus annuus [Asteraceae]), centaurea ( Centaurea cineraria [Asteraceae]) y la planta ostra ( Tradescantia spathacea [Commelinaceae] solo proporcionaron un crecimiento minimo (<10 mm) pero puede ser capaz de sostener los caracoles hasta que puedan encontrar alimentos de mejor calidad. En general, las plantas anuales tienden a ser mas adecuadas que las plantas perennes para el crecimiento y la sobrevivencia del caracol (P <0,01). Esta informacion puede usarse para identificar que plantas ornamentales apoyan el crecimiento y la sobrevivencia del caracol, donde los caracoles pueden encontrarse probablemente en propiedades infestadas y que plantas podrian estar en mayor riesgo de danar. View this article in BioOne