Spatiotemporal distribution of <i>Pomacea</i> snails in China based on GBIF data and its association with genetic tracing

CHINESE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 512-516.doi: 10.12140/j.issn.1000-7423.2026.04.008

• ORIGINAL ARTICLES • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal distribution of Pomacea snails in China based on GBIF data and its association with genetic tracing

MAO Qi1()(), YU Qing2,*()(), LV Xihong1, SUN Zhongxing1, JIN Yanjun2   

  1. 1 Shanghai Songjiang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Shanghai Songjiang District Health Supervision Institute), Shanghai 201600, China
    2 Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Shanghai Academy of Preventive Medicine), Shanghai 201107, China
  • Received:2026-01-05 Revised:2026-04-08 Online:2026-08-30 Published:2026-08-12
  • Contact: * E-mail: yuqing_1@scdc.sh.cn
  • Supported by:
    Three-Year Action Plan for Strengthening the Public Health System in Shanghai (2023-2025) Key Disciplines(GWVI-11.1-04);Three-Year Action Plan for Strengthening the Public Health System in Shanghai (2023-2025) Key Disciplines(GWVI-11.1-13)

Abstract:

Objective To analyze the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of Pomacea snail presence records in China in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) platform and their associations with genetic tracing, so as to provide insights into precise monitoring and control of hotspot colonization and risk areas of Pomacea snails. Methods Records of valid Pomacea snail presence in China from 2001 to 2024 were collected from the GBIF platform, and a descriptive statistical was performed using the software SPSS 26.0. In addition, publications regarding genetic tracing of Pomacea snails in China were systematically retrieved during the same study period, and population genetic structure and tracing evidence were extracted from publications to comprehensively examine their correlations. Results A total of 1 785 valid records were screened, covering 17 province-level administrative regions in China. The records were predominantly based on human observations (1 669 records, 93.50%), with a mean coordinate uncertainty of 70.42 m, indicating high spatial accuracy. The latitudes of valid records ranged from 18.298 967°N (Hainan) to 32.078 623°N (Jiangsu) and the longitudes ranged from 100.787 644°E (Yunnan) to 121.924 861°E (Taiwan), exhibiting a distribution pattern of a higher density in the southern region and a lower density in the northern region. Taiwan (1 435 records, 80.39%), Hunan (108 records, 6.05%), and Guangdong (85 records, 4.76%) emerged as the three primary hotspots for records. Temporally, a three-phase progression characteristic of “sporadic development” “slow initial growth” and “explosive growth” was found. From 2001 to 2010, a total of 4 records were documented; from 2011 to 2020, 503 records (an annual average of 50.3) were recorded. The record counts surged to 1 278 during the period between 2021 and 2024 (an annual average of 319.5), peaking in 2024 (386 records), with Taiwan as the primary contributor (364 records, 94.30%). A literature review of nine studies on genetic tracing revealed P. canaliculata as the overwhelmingly dominant Pomacea species in China, with origins traced to Argentina and Brazil in South America. Pomacea snail populations in Taiwan exhibited the most complicated genetic structure, while Pomacea snail populations from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Jiangsu and Shanghai) showed high genetic diversity (Hd = 0.627). In addition, some hotspots recorded in GBIF strongly coincided with areas with a high genetic diversity. Conclusion Some hotspots recorded in GBIF are spatially consistent with areas with a high genetic diversity of Pomacea snails. Taiwan serves as the core dispersal origin, while the lower reaches of the Yangtze River exhibit independent invasion events and a sustained northward expansion trend.

Key words: Pomacea, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Occurrence record, Distribution characteristic, Genetic tracing

CLC Number: