Deroceras panormitanum
Encyclopedia
Deroceras panormitanum, previously known as Deroceras caruanae and as Agriolimax caruanae, is a species
of air-breathing land slug
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
This species is not listed in IUCN red list
- not evaluated (NE)
which it closely resembles, especially in North America. The two species can usually be distinguished by the shape of the end of the tail, as seen in profile. The tail of Deroceras panormitanum usually slants vertically upward from the sole for a short distance, or even bends backwards. The tail of Deroceras laeve on the other hand slopes forward above the sole.
As an introduced species it has also spread and continues to spread to many other parts of the world.
This slug is known to occur in the following European islands and countries:
And in North America: (Reise et al.)
Elsewhere in the world: (Reise et al.)
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of air-breathing land slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
This species is not listed in IUCN red list
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
- not evaluated (NE)
Description
The skin and flesh of Deroceras panormitanum is watery and almost transparent. The color of the skin varies between light grayish-brown and almost black. This species is easily confused with Deroceras laeveDeroceras laeve
Deroceras laeve, the marsh slug, is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.-Distribution:...
which it closely resembles, especially in North America. The two species can usually be distinguished by the shape of the end of the tail, as seen in profile. The tail of Deroceras panormitanum usually slants vertically upward from the sole for a short distance, or even bends backwards. The tail of Deroceras laeve on the other hand slopes forward above the sole.
Distribution
This species was originally probably Mediterranean, where it occurs in different forms, and subsequently spread over most parts of Europe.As an introduced species it has also spread and continues to spread to many other parts of the world.
This slug is known to occur in the following European islands and countries:
- Czech Republic - non-indigenous in Moravia since 2003
- Netherlands
- Slovakia
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- and others
And in North America: (Reise et al.)
- California 1940
- Quebec in greenhouses 1969
- Washington D.C., 1998
- Colorado 2004 in garden centers and in a park-like area
- And very likely to be present in many more areas of the US
Elsewhere in the world: (Reise et al.)
- Canary Islands
- South Africa
- Colombia
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Tristan da Cunha
- Marion Islands