Essay --

Pomacea insularum Pomacea insularum commonly known as the apple snail is a species of snail from the class Gastropoda. P. insularum are found in warm wetlands habitats. They are capable of fast growth rates and reproduce many offspring which increases their capability to quickly invade different ranges. Recently this species has been spreading through southern United States and altering the environments in which they are found. The Pomacea insularum species in round in shape and is usually brown, black, and yellowish tan. P. insularum may reach 150 mm in length or the size of an apple. Their offspring are large egg masses that are a bright pink color. Pomacea insularum look very similar to Pomacea canaliculata making it difficult to properly identify. To better control the invasive species P. insularum it is important to understand the native range, invasive range, and related species. The known native range of this species is Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. The Apple Snail generally inhabit areas with slow moving or stagnant waters in lowland swamps, marshes, irrigation canals, streams, ponds, lakes and rivers. Currently the species is invading in several areas of the world including several countries in the Asian and European continents. Another continent that P. insularum is found in is North America specifically the southern United States. States that have the species are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas. The first sighting of P. insularum in many of these states were in the 2000’s while in Texas the first sited was 1989. A study done by Howell surveyed 393 sites in Texas and P. insularum was found in 53 of the sites. The snail was found in low densities in ponds and streams but in agr... ...dling age from two to five weeks resulted in significant reductions in snail damage. Management of the apple snails may have to target the entire genus of Pomacea since there are so many invasive species of Pomacea in the United States. Forecasting the potential range of the Pomacea insularum is important for management of the species. Pomacea insularum lives in habits that are generally warm and composed of wetlands. Currently P. insularum is found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas. These states all have areas that are warm and have wetlands. Under current climate conditions Pomacea insularum should not spread much farther through the United States. Along with the right climate P. insularum needs the waters to be ph that is greater than 5.5. If the ph levels are lower than this number the snail’s survival and persistence declines.