October 2006. A question was asked about giant African snail: does It feed on taro, i.e., is it a pest of the crop. The question was asked as it was uncertain if it should be included in TaroPest (http://taropest.sci.qut.edu.au/) or not. There are photos on Ecoport, showing damamge to taro petioles and to leaves of Alocasia: ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&Subject=giant+african+snail&Caption=taro&SubjectWild=CO&CaptionWild=CO&Thumbnails=Y It is mentioned as a pest of taro in the SPC's Pest List Database: (www.spc.int:8088/pld/index.jsp) in American Samoa, French Polynesia, CMNI. It was noted that after its introduction to Samoa, damaged to taro was severe depending on the population level, with individual plants being all but completely defoliated except for the furled central leaves (and there was feeding damage on some of these). The laminae were usually completely consumed and lengths of the soft petioles. Damage was also reported from Papua New Guinea, and Federated States of Miocronesia on taro, Xanthosoma (photo) and Cyrtosperma. Curiously, Palau reported that snails, though plentiful, had not been seen on taro, or any other aroids. It maybe it is avoided if other preferred sources of food are present. Original: tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4361 Replies: tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4362 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4363 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4364 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4365  tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4366 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4368 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4369 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4371 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4372 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4373 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4374 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4375 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4376 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4377 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4379 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4380 tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pestnet/message/4381