C. intersecta has a small to medium shell with 5 to 6 whorls (up to 14 mm), sub-globose to turbinate, rounded domed spire, tightly coiled, solid with descending, ovate-lunate aperture and wide umbilicus. The lower lip is reflected. Sculpture of coarse radial wrinkles and lines present. The colour is buff to light brown with dark brown to black irregular blotches (Smith and Kershaw, 1979). The description from Shea (2007) reports a narrow umbilicus with rounded whorls in adults, moderately impressed sutures, thickened ring inside aperture, sculpture of radial growth line. Shell is yellowish with spirally arranged brown broken bands and flammulations and cream radial streaks.
Some species of Mediterranean origin such as Candidula favour calcareous grasslands and sand dunes. These habitats should be checked first for accidental introductions.
In the USA, C. intersecta has been intercepted repeatedly on Italian, Spanish, Chilean and Colombian terracotta tiles, and granite, and travertine from Spain (Hitchcox, 2007;Meissner et al., 2009).
Related invasive species
- Candidula intersecta
Related Farm Practice
- Pests
- Light
Related location
- Europe
C. intersecta can be invasive in its countries of origin and is considered an agricultural pest in Europe where it can feed on cereal and horticultural crops (some pome and stone fruit) and is responsible for yield losses. Even if its economic and environmental impact has not been determined, it has the potential to cause damage in the USA, New Zealand and Australia, where it is listed as an “A pest” of quarantine concern in the Plant Quarantine Act 1997.
C. intersecta is considered to be a potential agricultural pest. Sternberg (2000) reports that C. intersecta feeds on leaves of young annual seedlings and tissues of forbs and legumes. In Europe, Candidula snails are known to feed on apples, pears, plums and peaches, damaging unripe and forming fruit on the tree. Once damaged, fruit succumb to fungal, bacterial and yeast attack and rot before maturity. C. intersecta also feed on seeds, seedlings and young plants of spring cereals (Godan, 1983).