Ecological assessment of gastropods as pests in papaya (caricaceae: Carica papaya L.) plantations in Brazil

作者：Rafael Alves Esteves, Suzete Rodrigues Gomes, Sônia Barbosa dos Santos, Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha · 发表于：International Journal of Pest Management · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1080/09670874.2026.2712946 · 研究领域：Mollusks and Parasites Studies、Parasites and Host Interactions、Helminth infection and control

Several terrestrial gastropods (snails and slugs) are recognized as pests of economically important crops and as intermediate hosts of parasites responsible for human diseases, such as angiostrongyliasis and eosinophilic meningitis. Despite their growing relevance, ecological information on gastropods as agricultural pests remains limited, especially in comparison to other taxa such as insects and mites. This study presents an ecological assessment of pest gastropod populations in papaya (Caricaceae: Carica papaya L.) plantations in Sooretama, Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, focusing on species composition, density, seasonality, and diel activity patterns. Field surveys were conducted in 2018 across two plantations, with sampling performed in both dry (April–September) and rainy (October–March) seasons, during daytime (5:00 - 16:00) and nighttime (18:00 - 2:00) periods. Gastropods were collected from the ground, tree stems, and fruits across systematically established plots. Three pest species were identified: the snails Bradybaena similaris (Férussac 1822) and Achatina fulica (Bowdich 1822), and the slug Sarasinula linguaeformis (Semper 1885). B. similaris showed predominantly diurnal activity, while S. linguaeformis and A. fulica were mainly nocturnal. Peak activity was observed during the rainy season for all species. Abundance and density (individuals/m2) were estimated, and statistical analyses (Kruskal–Wallis test and circular statistics) were applied to evaluate t...