Rumina decollata

Basic information
Scientific name	Rumina decollata	Click to magnify
Common names	Decollate snail
Higher taxon	Subulinidae, Stylommatophora, Gastropoda, Mollusca
Natural range	Mediterranean coast. S Spain, N Africa.
Habitat	Somewhat dry habitat such as vacancy, shrub, gravelly grassland, etc.

Invasion information
Range in Japan	Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Saga, and Kumamoto Prefs.
Origin	Unknown.
Date	The first record in Japan was in 1988 at Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Pref.
Route	Accidental: Unknown. In quarantine record on freshwater and land snails in 1995-2005 (2349 records, 61 species) by the Plant Protection Station, there was no record on this species. In foreign countries, hitchhiking on lavender seedling (from Italy to UK) and roof tile (from Spain to USA) are recorded.
Impact	Potentially: Predation on and competition with native species. Damage on agriculture. Native organism(s) affected: Land snails, slugs, earth worms, crops, etc.
Regulation in Japan	Subulinidae is designated as a Quarantine Pest (the Plant Protection Law). An official certification of identification by the exporting country government is required for import of snails of the family Subulinidae to Japan (the Invasive Alien Species Act).
Introduced range in other countries	USA (North Calorina, Florida, Texas, etc.), Cuba, Hispaniola Is., Bermuda Is., Cape Verde, Azores Islands, Madeira Islands, Canary Islands, etc.

Reference

Notes

Matsukuma et al. (2006) The accidentally introduced land snail Rumina decollata (Gastropoda: Subulinidae) in Fukuoka Prefecture. Chiribotan. 37, 7-12 (in Jpn)
Matsukuma & Takeda (2007) Invasion and dispersal of Rumina decollata. VENUS. 66(1-2), 124
Minato & Uozumi (1991) Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758), a new intruder to japan. CHIRIBOTAN. 22(3), 72-74 (in Jpn)
Plant Protection Station (2011) The Plant Protection Act. Quarantine Pest List. (Accessed on 2012-5-16) http://www.pps.go.jp/law_active/Notification/basis/5/245/html/245.html (in Jpn)
etc.

Populations of this species seems expanding recently.
In USA, this species is commercially distributed as a biocontrol agent against slugs in gardening, golf course, etc.