Decollatte Snail – Rumina decollate

Decollatte Snail – Rumina decollate Common Name: Decollatte Snail Latin Name: Rumina decollate Appearance:

• The spiraling pinkish-brown shell of the decollate snail is elongated and tapering towards the back. A more light-colored cover may be present on young snails. The body may reach lengths of up to 1-3/5 inches (40 mm) and a diameter of 5/8 inches (14 mm). Older whirls of the shell are discarded when the tip of the body expands, leaving just four to seven rotations in older snails. Young snails can keep up to 10 shell whirls.
• The antennae, head, and foot are a dark olive-grey to blackish-grey. Except when the snail is agitated or seeking protection from heat and sunshine, they emerge from the shell’s broader (front) end. When feeding on the body of a snail or slug, the prey may yield an excessive number of foamy mucous in an obvious effort to repel the decollate.
• The dirt contains the rounded, white eggs. Decollate snail eggs measure 1/12 inch (2 mm) in diameter and have a fragile shell.
• Snails with decollate shells are more active at night and in cloudy or wet conditions. They bury themselves in the top inch of soil and the litter on the ground throughout the day.

Host plant: Decollate snails do not rise and stick to the bottom leaves of plants coated in duff or mulch. They occupy perennial plants’ understory, with consistent access to water and damp leaf litter. Territory: The southern states from California to Pennsylvania are the most heavily populated in the United States. Damages caused by Decollatte Snail: Decollate snails are omnivorous and thus can be damaging or beneficial to garden landscapes. The carnivorous decollate snail helps keep the herbivorous brown garden snail in check. Decolallate snails are also herbivorous; thus, they can seriously harm landscape plants if there are no brown garden snails or other options. Life history and Habits: Decollate snails are typically found in landscape plants where they consume other snails, slugs, or vegetation. Snails with decollate shells are more active at night and in cloudy or wet conditions. Decollate snails have long been a natural deterrent against pests, snails, and slugs. Rarely will these species eat any plant matter? This all-purpose predator has been linked to destroying beneficial annelids and native gastropods, including non-pest species. The age of sexual maturity is around ten months. Each adult can lay five hundred eggs in their lifespan. The eggs are buried individually in the ground and take 10 to 45 days to develop.