Examining Consumption Behavior differences between Pomacea maculata and Pomacea paludosa on Vallisneria americana.

Pomacea maculata is invading Florida’s freshwater ecosystems. P. maculata is potentially competing with native Pomacea paludosa. However very little work has looked at the consumption behavior to Vallisneria americana. V. Americana, a restoration plant used by resource managers provides important habitat to nursery species. This study examines P. maculata and P. paludosa’s rate of physical, herbivory, and total damage on V. americana. Our results show P. maculata and P. paludosa demonstrate an average rate of physical damage of 2.5 cm/hr and 1.2 cm/hr, herbivory rates of 1.8 cm/hr and 0.2 cm/hr and total physical damage rates of 4.2 cm/hr and 1.4 cm/hr respectively; and with t-values of 0.180, 0.006, and 0.024 respectively. This study illustrates P. maculata herbivory is significantly greater compared to P. paludosa herbivory, and total damage rates but not physical damage. Resource managers need to consider these higher rates when planning to use V. Americana.