Chinese Mystery Snail (Margarya chinensis)
(c) Emily Hjalmarson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Emily Hjalmarson · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Snails and slugsIn Franklin County, Ohio

Chinese Mystery Snail

Margarya chinensis (J. E. Gray, 1833)

Chinese Mystery Snail in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Genus
Margarya

Introduced and invasive status

Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)

Also listed

  • Introduced and assessed as invasive in the lower 48 states (listed as Cipangopaludina chinensis)

iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.

US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.

Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)

Near Franklin County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (43)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (43)
  • Recorded, season not shown (2)
  • Season shown (0)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
Chinese Mystery Snail by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yet
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yet
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yet
Butler CountyNo qualifying records yet
Carroll CountyNo qualifying records yet
Champaign CountyNo qualifying records yet
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Darke CountyNo qualifying records yet
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yet
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County23 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yet
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yet
Harrison CountyNo qualifying records yet
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yet
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yet
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yet
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lake CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lucas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning CountyNo qualifying records yet
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yet
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yet
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yet
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yet
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yet
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yet
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yet
Richland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yet
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yet
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yet
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Summit County37 · Recorded, season not shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyNo qualifying records yet
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Washington CountyNo qualifying records yet
Wayne CountyNo qualifying records yet
Williams CountyNo qualifying records yet
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yet

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Franklin County

Not enough evidence

Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet. Based on 23 records in 5 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Franklin County · records of all species each week, 95,840 in all

Records per week from 23 records in 5 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Chinese Mystery Snail in Franklin County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Chinese Mystery SnailYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000417
Jan 11–1700236
Jan 18–2400236
Jan 25–3100236
Feb 1–700244
Feb 8–1400360
Feb 15–2100270
Feb 22–2800401
Mar 1–711483
Mar 8–1400567
Mar 15–2100561
Mar 22–2811750
Mar 29 – Apr 4001,310
Apr 5–11111,456
Apr 12–18002,408
Apr 19–25002,525
Apr 26 – May 2222,812
May 3–9002,785
May 10–16002,381
May 17–23112,651
May 24–30002,735
May 31 – Jun 6112,861
Jun 7–13112,986
Jun 14–20002,980
Jun 21–27003,051
Jun 28 – Jul 4113,121
Jul 5–11223,399
Jul 12–18003,754
Jul 19–25003,305
Jul 26 – Aug 1113,347
Aug 2–8003,803
Aug 9–15003,507
Aug 16–22003,137
Aug 23–29003,249
Aug 30 – Sep 5003,487
Sep 6–12003,215
Sep 13–19003,368
Sep 20–26002,586
Sep 27 – Oct 3003,624
Oct 4–10002,701
Oct 11–17712,107
Oct 18–24001,201
Oct 25–31111,123
Nov 1–700789
Nov 8–1400798
Nov 15–2100468
Nov 22–2800522
Nov 29 – Dec 500225
Dec 6–1200234
Dec 13–1900392
Dec 20–2600254
Dec 27 – Jan 230422

In Ohio

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 271 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 271 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Chinese Mystery Snail in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Chinese Mystery SnailYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10326,211
Jan 11–17225,146
Jan 18–24114,645
Jan 25–31114,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21115,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7218,321
Mar 8–147410,384
Mar 15–213212,620
Mar 22–283313,949
Mar 29 – Apr 43319,661
Apr 5–112226,860
Apr 12–1810639,925
Apr 19–259241,623
Apr 26 – May 215556,391
May 3–910552,952
May 10–1612653,785
May 17–233257,698
May 24–3010554,651
May 31 – Jun 65553,099
Jun 7–136553,700
Jun 14–203356,625
Jun 21–278555,361
Jun 28 – Jul 45558,477
Jul 5–1111661,336
Jul 12–183264,722
Jul 19–2510569,753
Jul 26 – Aug 110659,416
Aug 2–85459,712
Aug 9–157455,994
Aug 16–224254,328
Aug 23–295451,772
Aug 30 – Sep 55457,167
Sep 6–128659,075
Sep 13–197554,543
Sep 20–268345,860
Sep 27 – Oct 313443,180
Oct 4–109437,841
Oct 11–1712330,824
Oct 18–245321,156
Oct 25–317419,021
Nov 1–74314,172
Nov 8–144312,621
Nov 15–21117,965
Nov 22–28008,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12116,004
Dec 13–19325,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2518,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Japanese Mystery Snail Heterogen japonicaOften confused in Ohio: 104 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed47%49%
Forest24%31%
Open water19%3%
Grassland and shrub4%0.9%
Wetland3%5%
Farmland3%11%

From 152 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

271 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.