Gerlach, Justin and Barker, Gary M. and Bick, Cindy S. and Bouchet, Philippe and Brodie, Gilianne D. and Christensen, Carl C. and Collins, Timothy and Coote, Trevor and Cowie, Robert H. and Fiedler, G.C. and Griffiths, Owen L. and Florens, F.B.V. and Hayes, Kenneth A. and Kim, Jaynee and Meyer, J-Y and Meyer III, Wallace M. and Richling, Ira and Slapcinsky, John D. and Winsor, Leigh and Yeung, Norine W. (2020) Negative impacts of invasive predators used as biological control agents against the pest snail Lissachatina fulica: the snail Euglandina ‘rosea’ and the flatworm Platydemus manokwari. Biological Invasions, NA . NA. ISSN 1387-3547
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Abstract
Since 1955 snails of the Euglandina rosea
species complex and Platydemus manokwari flatworms were widely introduced in attempted biological
control of giant African snails (Lissachatina fulica)
but have been implicated in the mass extinction of
Pacific island snails. We review the histories of the 60
introductions and their impacts on L. fulica and native
snails. Since 1993 there have been unofficial releases
of Euglandina within island groups. Only three official
P. manokwari releases took place, but new populations
are being recorded at an increasing rate, probably
because of accidental introduction. Claims that these
predators controlled L. fulica cannot be substantiated;
in some cases pest snail declines coincided with
predator arrival but concomitant declines occurred
elsewhere in the absence of the predator and the
declines in some cases were only temporary. In the
Hawaiian Islands, although there had been some earlier declines of native snails, the Euglandina
impacts on native snails are clear with rapid decline
of many endemic Hawaiian Achatinellinae following
predator arrival. In the Society Islands, Partulidae tree
snail populations remained stable until Euglandina
introduction, when declines were extremely rapid with
an exact correspondence between predator arrival and
tree snail decline. Platydemus manokwari invasion
coincides with native snail declines on some islands,
notably the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, and its
invasion of Florida has led to mass mortality of
Liguus spp. tree snails. We conclude that Euglandina
and P. manokwari are not effective biocontrol agents,
but do have major negative effects on native snail
faunas. These predatory snails and flatworms are
generalist predators and as such are not suitable for
biological control.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > Q Science (General) > Q1-390 Science (General) Q Science > QL Zoology S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > Institute of Applied Science |
| Depositing User: | Gilianne Brodie |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Jan 2021 03:05 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Jan 2021 03:05 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11906 |
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