Observations de Cernuella virgata et Monacha cartusiana en region liegeoise: signe d'expansion d'especes xero-thermophiles en Wallonie?
Delcourt, J.; Vilvens, C. (2015). Observations de Cernuella virgata et Monacha cartusiana en region liegeoise: signe d'expansion d'especes xero-thermophiles en Wallonie? Novapex (Jodoigne) 16(2): 53-57
In: Novapex (Jodoigne). Société Belge de Malacologie: Bruxelles. ISSN 1375-7474, more
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| Keywords |
Cernuella virgata (Da Costa, 1778) [WoRMS]; Monacha (Monacha) cantiana (Montagu, 1803) [WoRMS]; Monacha cartusiana (O. F. Müller, 1774) [WoRMS]
Terrestrial |
| Author keywords |
Cernuella virgata, Monacha cartusiana, Monacha cantiana, landsnails, xerophilic species, introduction, migration routes, geographical distribution. |
| Abstract |
New populations of Cernuella virgata (Da Costa, 1778) and Monacha cartusiana (0.F.Miiller, 1774) have been discovered in the north of Liege (Grace-Berleur, Liege, Belgium), with some Monacha cantiana (Montagu, 1803) and Helicella itala (Linnaeus, 1758), all typical companion species of dry sunny habitats. For C. virgate, species known to live close to the coastal region in this latitude, this is its first mention in Wallonia. The increasing of observations of M.cantiana and M. cartusiana in south Belgium, and now the discovery of C. virgata, seem to indicate some recent modifications of repartition in xero-thermophilic landsnails living in this country. Even if humans are surely implicated in the introduction of these species, the precise causes of their presence are not really understood. Grass cutting is a potential risk of threat for the C. virgata population; however, this population has a real potential of expansion as favourable habitats are present around the observed sites. We estimated the C. virgata population size in summer 2014 to be of several hundred individuals. We encourage landsnail watchers and malacologists to focus their attention on reporting new data about these xerophilic species in Belgium, particularly in the countryside, railways, roadsides and slagheaps. |
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