Dispersal of two freshwater invasive macroinvertebrates, Procambarus clarkii and Physella acuta, by off‐road vehicles

Abstract

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and the bladder snail (Physella acuta) are two invasive aquatic macroinvertebrate species with worldwide distribution that are plagues in rice fields.The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of accidental human dispersal of these two species by off‐road vehicles.An experimental approach was used owing to the difficulty of obtaining field data on low‐probability events such as passive dispersal. Experiments were performed testing the probability of attachment of both organisms to mudguards of off‐road vehicles as well as successful transport and release into the receiver water body. Recently‐hatched P. clarkii and all P. acuta sizes available in the field were used.Results showed that P. clarkii and P. acuta can be transported in mud adhering to an off‐road vehicle. No differences were found in the proportions of adhered organisms between species or for each species at the different densities used because of low overall retrieval. For P. acuta, the attachment probability varied between 0.5% both for 50 and 200 individuals m‐2 and 1% for 100 ind. m‐2. For P. clarkii, no individuals adhered at 50 ind. m‐2, but the probabilities were 1% and 1.5% for 100 and 200 ind. m‐2, respectively.A transport‐survival experiment showed a mean survival distance of 83.2 km for P. clarkii and 92.2 km for P. acuta under dry conditions. Rain or wet conditions severely reduced successful transport.The proportion of organisms falling into a receiving water body increased with the vehicle's speed while crossing the water.Although the results demonstrated a low probability of occurrence of attachment, they also showed that, if attachment occurs, aquatic organisms have a high chance to be released successfully in a suitable environment after long‐distance transport by vehicle. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Up, up and away: bird‐mediated ectozoochorous dispersal between aquatic environments

“…Similarly, Waterkeyn et al . () observed the successful emergence of large numbers of invertebrates from mud collected from footwear and motor vehicles used in fieldwork at the Camargue, while Banha, Marques & Anastácio () observed that two invasive freshwater macroinvertebrates, the red swamp crayfish ad the snail Physella acuta (Physidae), can be transported in mud adhering to off‐road vehicles. These studies indicate that mud contributes to the adherence, continued attachment and survival of dispersal units.…”

The role of anglers' perceptions and habits in biological invasions: perspectives from the Iberian Peninsula

“…Knowledge of dispersal mechanisms is very important for the management of species invasions, allowing their prevention by acting upon vectors (Crooks and Soulé, ; Bohonak and Jenkins, ; Banha et al, ). Hence, it is essential to gather information on freshwater anglers' activities, such as the use of live bait, movements, types of gear used, and fish species preference, which may affect accidental and intentional introductions.…”

Zoochorous dispersal of freshwater bivalves: an overlooked vector in biological invasions?

“…In particular, bivalves adhering to birds via the 'grip' of their closed gape, may release when brought into contact with freshwater by a vectorbird. For example, Banha et al (2014) observed that non-native snails (Pysella acuta) maintained attachment to a human vector (offroad vehicle) for circa 100 km, and subsequent detachment was promoted by contact with freshwater. Moreover, many waterbird species will often preen and wash themselves with freshwater, which may facilitate detachment of plumage enmeshed bivalves in a suitable environment.…”