There is a new invasive species detection of non-native snails at Big Ditch Lake near Cowen, WV. Earl Coakley contacted the WV DNR’s Wildlife Mailbox to report the snails on July 10, 2017. The DNR staff forwarded that information to WVDA and it then was forwarded it to USDA. On July 18, USDA APHIS PPQ visited Big Ditch Lake and collected samples of the snails. They noted that the aquatic snails were common along the shoreline, anywhere they could see to the bottom. The specimens were sent to the USDA malacology lab in Philadelphia on July 24th for identification. Dr. Francisco Borrero, with the lab, confirmed they were Japanese Mystery Snails (Cipangopaludina japonicas). Borrero advised that the snails are not USDA quarantine pests but can be very invasive. The information was entered into AQAS and the samples were retained for their reference collection. Those who are not familiar with this species may learn more at a link that Justin Thaxton, Domestic Program Coordinator with USDA APHIS PPQ, provided:
https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1046
