Milax gagates (Draparnaud, 1801)

Description

Barker (1999), Thomas et al. (2010).

Distribution

Native to Europe, Mediterranean basin. Introduced in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South America, and numerous Atlantic and Pacific Islands (Thomas et al. 2010). In Chile this species has been cited from latitude 30° S to 45° S and in the Juan Fernández Archipelago and Easter Island (Valdovinos 1999). The first record of this species for Chile was by Stuardo and Vega (1985).

Possible mechanism of introduction/Status

Human transportation/established (Valdovinos 1999).

Remarks

Herbivore, invasive and common in areas associated with humans; it is predominantly a subterranean species and a pest of root crops (Barker 1999). EA, I.