Phylogeography and Population Structure of the Invasive Land Snail Monacha cartusiana

Monacha cartusiana (O. F. Müller, 1774), native to the Mediterranean region and Europe, is a terrestrial gastropod recognized as a highly destructive agricultural pest that causes significant damage to crop plants, fruit trees, vegetables, ornamentals, and natural ecosystems. Despite its broad geographic distribution, the evolutionary history and phylogeographic relationships of M. cartusiana populations remain globally unexplored. This study reports the first molecularly confirmed record of M. cartusiana in Pakistan and investigates its genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure within a global context using mitochondrial markers. After morphological identification, genomic DNA was extracted from collected specimens using the CTAB method, followed by amplification and sequencing of the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes. The resulting sequences were subsequently analyzed using DnaSP and PopART software to estimate genetic diversity, perform neutrality tests, and construct haplotype networks. Published sequences of M. cartusiana retrieved from GenBank were incorporated to provide a global comparative framework. The COI dataset (555 bp) revealed 52 haplotypes, whereas the 16S rRNA dataset (269 bp) identified 14 haplotypes across global populations. High haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.946 for COI; Hd = 0.831 for 16S rRNA) and moderate nucleotide diversity (π = 0.010 for COI; π = 0.01253 for 16S rRNA) indicated substantial genetic variability within the species. Neutrality tests produced negative and insignificant values for Tajima’s D for COI and significant values for 16S rRNA (−1.428 for COI; −0.20586 for 16S rRNA) and Fu’s Fs (−29.776 for COI; −1.263 for 16S rRNA), suggesting historical population expansion. Phylogenetic reconstruction and haplotype network analyses identified two major clades (Clade A and Clade B), reflecting genetic relationships among populations from different geographic regions. AMOVA based on COI and 16S rRNA sequences revealed significant population structuring, with 29.98–51.30% of the total genetic variation occurring among populations and high fixation indices (FST = 0.299–0.51398, p = 0.001), indicating pronounced genetic differentiation and restricted gene flow. Pairwise FST analyses indicated that the Pakistani population is most closely related to populations from Italy and Central Europe, suggesting a closer genetic affinity with Southern or Central European populations. However, FST alone does not allow definitive inference of introduction directionality, and additional analyses would be required to robustly identify the source population. Overall, this study provides the first comprehensive molecular and phylogeographic assessment of the M. cartusiana species from Pakistan within a global context. These findings contribute important baseline data for understanding the evolutionary dynamics, dispersal history, and population connectivity of this economically important pest species. The pronounced genetic differentiation among populations and the suggested genetic affinity of the Pakistani population with European lineages have direct implications for biosecurity monitoring, invasion pathway tracing, and targeted pest management strategies. Future research integrating nuclear markers with the mitochondrial data presented here will be essential for a more complete understanding of gene flow and local adaptation in this species.