Cernuella virgata (Da Costa, 1778) has been recorded for the first time in Turkmenistan. The species inhabits Ashgabat and its suburbs: Bikrova and Berzengi. The natural range of C. virgata includes the western Mediterranean, the British Isles, Crimea and the vicinity of Novorossiysk. The authors hypothesize that C. virgata was introduced from Europe in the 1990s, when a substantial number of seedlings were imported along with soil for urban landscaping projects. All biotopes inhabited by C. virgata are located along roads and near residential buildings, both in single-story and multi-story areas. The snails are predominantly found in grassy environments. In Europe, C. virgata lives in open steppes, so it is commonly called the steppe snail. In Turkmenistan, C. virgata resides in afforestation areas, under the shade of trees and in irrigated vegetable gardens. Ecological changes are attributed due to the peculiarities of the arid continental climate of the semi-desert zone of Turkmenistan. Reproduction of this species occurs in spring and autumn, with a lifespan until complete shell development and sexual maturity ranging from two to six years, depending on the moisture levels of the habitats due to irrigation. During the summer heat, these snails ascend tree trunks and hide in the cracks of the bark. The general parameters of the shells and reproductive system correspond to the descriptions of C. virgata from Western European countries, with shell heights ranging from 8.6 to14.2 mm; shell widths from 12.5 to 19.2 mm, and the number of whorls from 4.6 to 6.25. The ecological adaptations of C. virgata in Turkmenistan demonstrate the species’ considerable capacity to acclimatize to new conditions, which makes it possible for it to spread to other anthropogenic biotopes in Asian countries.
terrestrial mollusks, adventive species, distribution, variability of shells and genitalia, ecological changes, Turkmenistan.
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