If you’ve seen these pink globular clusters near lakes and ponds, then it’s already too late – you’ve been invaded by apple snails from South America.

This notorious species was introduced to China in 1981 and has since spread throughout the warmer parts of the country.  It’s called 福壽螺 in Chinese, and is believed by many to be poisonous if eaten.  According to multiple sources on the internet, this appears to be untrue, although it is often a carrier of a frightening parasitic nematode.

In stark contrast with the beastly apple snail is the benign, delicious, and even lovely Chinese mystery snail (田螺).  If you don’t associate the word “lovely” with snails, you may be enlightened by this charming Chinese children’s story about the River Snail Maiden.

Here’s a test of your observation abilities.  In the following three photos, can you tell which one is the gruesome apple snail and which is the adorable Chinese mystery snail?

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

The irony is that the Chinese mystery snail is a troublesome invasive species in the U.S.