Scientific name: Achatina fulica

Hawaiian Name: homeka

Classification: Phylum: Mollusca. Class: Gastropoda. Family: Achatinidae

Origin: Purposefully introduced in 1936.

Status: Locally common.

Distribution: All main islands.

Map: —

Native to Africa, this large snail was brought to Hawai‘i in 1936 as a garden ornamental and to be eaten. It is the largest land snail in Hawai‘i (can get up to 8 inches [ca. 20 cm] in length) and is considered an invasive pest because it feeds on the tender green leaves of garden and crop plants throughout the islands.