First record of red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Cambaridae) in Israel - too late to eradicate?

The recent findings of the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, in groundwater-filled pits in an abandoned quarry (Hadera, central coastal plain) constitute the first record in the wild of this notoriously invasive species in Israel. Crayfish had been offered for sale in local pet shops: twenty years ago several illegally imported specimens had been confiscated by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and two of the specimens were deposited at the National Collections, Tel Aviv University. The recent finding of a small reproducing population established in a semi natural habitat in Israel raises great concern regarding the potential widening of its range and of the limited options for its eradication.