The decollate snail,

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''Rumina decollata'', is a medium-sized predatory

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

, a species of terrestrial

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk in the family Achatinidae. It is a European species that has been introduced in a number of areas worldwide.

Taxa inquirenda

* ''Rumina decollata var. dentata'' Pallary, 1922 * ''Rumina decollata var. fusca'' Pallary, 1899 * ''Rumina decollata var. striatula'' Pallary, 1920

Distribution

This species is native to the Mediterranean excluding south-east Mediterranean. It is introduced in Israel and in Egypt since Roman times.Mienis H. K. (2003). "A new colony of ''Rumina saharica'' discovered in Israel". ''Tentacle'
11
11-12. It has been introduced into

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, including Phoenix and

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...

, and other areas Fresno, California as a biological control agent, in hopes of controlling populations of the

brown garden snail ''Cornu aspersum'' (syn. ''Cryptomphalus aspersus''), known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail in the family Helicidae, which includes some of the most familiar land snails. Of all terrestrial molluscs, this species may w ...

. It is found in Great Britain, as a "hothouse alien"

Shell description

The shell of the decollate snail is long and roughly cone-shaped. It grows to approximately 40mm-45mm in length and a width of 14 mm, and upon reaching mature size, grinds or chips off the end of its own shell by moving its body roughly against hard surfaces, so that the shell takes on a ''decollate'' shape, tapering to a blunt end.

Life habits

Sexual maturity occurs at approximately 10 months. An adult is capable of laying 500 eggs in its lifetime. The eggs are deposited singly in the soil and hatch within 10-45 days. ''Rumina decollata'' is a voracious predator, and will readily feed upon common garden snails and slugs and their eggs. The snail eats plant matter as well, but this generalist predator is indiscriminate in its feeding and has been implicated in the decimation of native gastropods (including non-pest species) and beneficial annelids. Decollate snails are tolerant of dry and cold conditions, during which they burrow deep into the soil. They are most active during the night and during rainfall.

References

* Herbert, D.G. (2010). The introduced terrestrial Mollusca of South Africa. SANBI Biodiversity Series, 15: vi + 108 pp. Pretoria.

External links

''Rumina decollata''
on the UF /

IFAS IFAS may refer: * Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences * Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge, a sewage treatment process * International French adjectival system In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, clim ...

— ''Featured Creatures website''.
A photo of decollates feeding on ''Helix'' (ivy)

Crosse H. (1873). Diagnoses molluscorum novorum. Journal de Conchyliologie. 21(2): 136-144.

Coquand H. (1862). Géologie et Paléontologie de la région sud de la Provence de Constantine. Mémoires de la Société d'Emulation de la Provence. 2: 5-342.

Bieler, R. & Slapcinsky, J. (2000). A case study for the development of an island fauna: Recent terrestrial mollusks of Bermuda. Nemouria. 44: 1-99.

Sparacio, I., Surdo, S., Viviano, R., Liberto, F. & Reitano, A. (2021). Land molluscs from the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (north-western Sicily, Italy) (Gastropoda Architaenioglossa Pulmonata). Biodiversity Journal. 12 (3): 589–624

ohnson, C. W. (1900). Some notes on Rumina decollata Linn. The Nautilus. 13(10): 117.

Smith, H. H. (1912). Rumina decollata in Mobile and New Orleans. The Nautilus. 26(1): 4-6

Ferriss, J. H. (1914). Rumina decollata in Texas. The Nautilus. 28(1): 11
{{Taxonbar, from=Q834936 Achatinidae Biota of the Mediterranean Sea Biological pest control agents Gastropods described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus