Pest alert update: Bulimulus sporadicus — otherwise known as a ghost or peanut snail

Staff working at an Approved Arrangement site at the Port of Brisbane recently reported a suspected detection of Bulimulus sporadicus, also known as the ghost or peanut snail.

An Approved Arrangement (AA) site at a port is a facility registered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) designed to manage and treat goods which are subject to biosecurity control.

Following the AA report, federal biosecurity officers carried out further surveillance in the surrounding area, including in drains, garden beds and a demountable building. The search was later extended to nearby properties, where more snails were found.

Snail traps have been set across the area. As of mid June 2025, 350 specimens have been collected, and surveillance is ongoing.

 

About Bulimulus sporadicus

Native to South America, Bulimulus sporadicus has spread internationally by hitching rides on shipping containers and through illegal smuggling for the pet trade.

Although it may cause some feeding damage to citrus fruit, this snail is mainly considered a nuisance pest — particularly because of its tendency to clog irrigation equipment and infrastructure.

In Florida, these snails have caused serious issues in citrus orchards by blocking sprinkler jets and drip emitters.

The snails may also feed on fruit or tree trunks if the plant is already damaged by pests, disease or physical injury.

In fact, freeze-damaged citrus trees have been found infested with these snails – sometimes leading to trunk girdling (UF/IFAS, 2023).

How to identify Bulimulus sporadicus

Citrus growers — especially those in Queensland’s tropical and subtropical regions with links to the Port of Brisbane — should keep watch for this pest.

Key features include:

• A slim, conical shell which darkens slightly toward the top; the body is tan-coloured
• Snails are usually under 30mm long, and often much smaller
• Small, shiny white spherical eggs buried just below the soil surface
• Snails gathering in unusually large numbers, especially around irrigation lines.

More information

To learn more, watch this lecture on Bulimulus sporadicus from the University of Florida.

Reporting a suspect snail

If you think you’ve found one or more of these snails, quarantine the area and call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline: 1800 084 881.

To best understand your report, a trained staff member will ask questions such as:

• What the snail looks like (or they may request a photo)
• When you first saw it
• Where it was found (a GPS point is helpful)
• What type of plant it was on
• How many snails you found
• How far they seem to have spread.

All reports are treated seriously, followed up, and kept confidential.

Video of an infestation of Bulimulus sporadicus on a sprinkler jet in Florida. Credit: Jessica Lye, Citrus Australia

For further information or for an interview with Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock, please contact:
Sarah C Porter
Mobile: +61 (0) 438 358 787
Email: sarah.porter@citrusaustralia.com.au