Limax punctulatus
| Limax punctulatus | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Limax punctulatus | ||||||||||||
| Sordelli , 1871 |
Limax punctulatus is a slug -Art from the family of the slug (Limacidae) that the terrestrial snails belongs (gastropod). It is endemic to a small area in the Southern Alps (Lombardy, Italy and Canton Ticino, Switzerland).
features
Limax punctulatus is stretched out to 13 cm long and about 14 mm wide. The little clear keel extends over about half of the back. The specimens are gray-yellow, with black spots usually distributed regularly on the back, whereby the coat is usually less dotted (10 to 25 small spots). The jacket shield is rounded at the front and rear ends. On the back there are 12 to 14 spots arranged in 3 or 4 longitudinal rows. The spots are less regular on the flanks. Single-colored specimens are also less common. The breathing hole is a little behind the middle of the mantle shield and has a darker border. The sole of the foot is divided into three longitudinal fields, but is monochrome white. The keel at the tip of the tail is short.
Similar species
Limax punctulatus differs from Limax millipunctatus in that it has a slightly lighter basic color and the lack of a highlighted center line. The breathing hole shows a dark border, which is missing in L. millipunctatus .
Limax punctulatus differs from the black snail ( Limax cinereoniger ), which is "only" about body length in this species, and by its copulation behavior. L. cinereoniger does not produce a tape of mucus, but is attached with the tip of its tail, L. punctulatus produces a "slime sail" and L. maximus a thread of mucus up to 40 cm long.
Limax punctulatus is possibly an older synonym for Limax redii . According to Brandstetter, the latter type has a longer penis and a more pronounced snout. In contrast to L. punctulatus , the copulation behavior of L. redii is fully documented.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The distribution area is limited to a small area in the southern Alps (Ticino and Lombardy west of Lake Como). In Switzerland it rises to around 900 m. The alleged occurrence of the species in southern Bulgaria has to be deleted, because the population there has a body-length penis and a copulatory behavior that is very similar to the black snail ( Limax cinereoniger ).
The species lives in mixed deciduous forests on mostly calcareous soil.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life. Recently the copulation of the species was documented at the type locality of the taxon at Esino . It is very similar to that of Limax redii with the very long penes that hang almost parallel to each other .
Taxonomy
The taxon was first described by Fernando Sordelli in 1871. In the literature, the publication date is often found to be 1870; this is a mistake, the annual volume for 1870 did not appear until 1871. Napoleone Pini corrected and later added to the description.
A population from Bulgaria was also established for this species. The copulation of this population has been documented by Ivaylo Dedov and differs fundamentally with the copulation behavior of L. punctulatus (and also L. redii ). In this population, the penis is almost body-length and twisted in a spiral when it is everted. The partners are attached to the base through the tips of their tails. This is comparable to the copulation behavior of the black snail ( Limax cinereoniger ). This Bulgarian population is therefore definitely not identical to L. punctulatus .
supporting documents
literature
- Sordelli, Ferdinando 1871: Anatomia del Limax Doriae, Bourg., Nei suoi rapporti con altre specie congeneri. Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali, 13 (3): 242-253, plate 3., Milan.
- Michael P. Kerney, RAD Cameron & Jürgen H. Jungbluth: The land snails of Northern and Central Europe. 384 pp., Paul Parey, Hamburg & Berlin 1983 ISBN 3-490-17918-8
- Pini, Napoleone 1876: Molluschi terrestri e d'acqua dolce viventi nel territorio d'Esino. P.1-143, plates A, B, Milan. Online at Biodiversity Heritage Library (p. 31)
Individual evidence
- ^ Manganelli, Giuseppe, Marco Bodon, Leonardo Favilli & Folco Giusti 1995: Fascicolo 16. Gastropoda Pulmonata. In: Minelli A., S. Ruffo & S. La Posta: Checklist delle specie della fauna italiana. 1-60, Calderini, Bologna (p. 28).
- ↑ Natura Mediterraneo - copulation of Limax punctulatus
- ↑ a b Irikov, A. & Mollov, I. 2006: Terrestrial gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the western Rhodopes (Bulgaria). - pp. 753-832, in: Beron, P .: Biodiversity of Bulgaria. 3. Biodiversity of western Rhodopes (Bulgaria and Greece) I. ISBN 954-642279-7 , ISBN 978-954-642279-8 , ISBN 954-882804-9 and ISBN 978-954-882804-8 .
- ↑ a b Ivaylo Dedov: Check-list of the Bulgarian terrestrial snails (Mollusca, Gastropoda) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Clemens M. Brandstetter & C. Morelli 2011: Il problema: Limax punctulatus Sordelli 1870 e Limax redii Gerhardt 1933 PDF
- ^ AnimalBase - Limax punctulatus
