First record of established populations of the snail Xerotricha conspurcata (Draparnaud, 1801) in Belgium, with comments on the use of genetic sequence databases for the identification of gastropods
Two small populations of the snail Xerotricha conspurcata were found close to Liège: in 2018 around a restaurant and in 2022 at the edge of a stone yard. Both populations are still present at the beginning of 2023. This species was identified by a genetic barcoding approach, based on sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase 1. These analyses have shown the importance of the quality of reference databases for the identification of such species.