Identification of terrestrial gastropods species in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

The study aims to identify of terrestrial gastropods species in Sohag Governorate during the year 2016 and 2017. The present study was carried out for survey and identification for random land snail in 11 districts, i.e. (Tema, Tahta, Gehyena, El-Maragha, Saqultah, Sohag, Akhmim, El-Monshah, Gerga, El-Balyana, and Dar El-Salam) at Sohag Governorate, Egypt. Samples were collected from 5 different locations in each district during 2016-2017 seasons. The monthly samples were taken from winter and summer crops (areas were cultivated with the field crops such as wheat, Egyptian clover, and vegetables crops. The results showed that found two species of land snails, Monacha obstracta (Montagu) and Eobania vermiculata (Muller). It was also observed that the occurrence of the spread of land snails was increased from the previous periods. The results further indicated that land snails were recorded in Sohag for a second time more widespread and may be that this pest moved to these governorates with transportation, passengers from places spread these new places and happened to her adaptation and after have transferred from infestation regions so, have adapted under weather factors of new region also, several factors e.g., the presence of more preferable food, shelter, intra-specific competition, fecundity increasing, several hosts or habitat in the new ecosystems. Therefore, this study gives an interesting indication of the development of a plan in effective strategy for land snail’s management program in agro ecosystems in Upper Egypt.