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

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.

Keywords

• Giant African snail
• Lissachatina
• Non-native species
• South of Brazil