FOOD PREFERENCE AND FEEDING BEHAVIOUR OF LAND MOLLUSES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Giza, Egypt

2 Agriculture Zoology and Nematology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The preferability of some food materials to Eobania vermiculata snails and Limax rnaximus slugs was investigated under the laboratory conditions. The obtained results revealed that bran bait was the most preferable one for both snails and slugs followed with crushed wheat and bread. Crushed sorghum bait showed the lowest one for snails and com­pletely refused by slugs, while both snails and slugs did not approach crushed maize.Regarding the preference of leaves of some fruit trees to snails and slugs, grape leaves were more preferred to the others, fol­lowed with leaves of citrus, guava, fig and apple, while pear leaves ranked the least. On the other hand, treacle and molasses are considered the most promising additives mixed with the poisoned bait for snails and slugs.