The killer shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinsky, 1894), is spreading in Italy

Abstract

In 2008, the killer shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus, native to the Ponto-Caspian region, was found for the first time in Central Italy, in Bilancino, an artificial lake situated in the watershed of the River Arno (Tuscany). This new record shows that this species’ range is expanding in Italy. It is thus imperative to identify the pathways and vectors of spread of this species in order to halt this invasion process.