Forest slug
| Forest slug | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Arion silvaticus | ||||||||||||
| ( Lohmander , 1937) |
The forest slug ( Arion silvaticus ) is a slug from the family of slugs (Arionidae), which is subordinate to the land snails (Stylommatophora).
description
The forest slug measures about 3 to 4 cm in length when stretched out. The back is colored ash-gray to gray-brown, often with slightly darker spots. The mantle shield is often a little lighter, but with a darker central area. In addition, the edge of the mantle shield is usually dark. The side bandages are also darker than the back and are sharply delimited, especially towards the light sole. The antennae are also dark brown. The slime is colorless. The young are light blue-gray with a light back line. The animals often sit flat when they are at rest.
Way of life, occurrence and distribution
The species lives mainly on fallen leaves. The main habitat are deciduous forests in hill and mountain landscapes. In the north of the distribution area, the species is also found in bog and heather forests. The forest slug is distributed over almost all of Europe with the exception of the Mediterranean region. In the southeast, the distribution area extends to Bulgaria, in the north to northern Norway and the south coast of Iceland. The species has at least already been introduced to North America today.
Systematics
The independence of the three species Arion fasciatus (Nilsson, 1823) ( yellow-striped slug ), Arion silvaticus Lohmander, 1937 (forest slug) and Arion circumscriptus Johnston, 1828 ( gray slug ) was questioned in 2006 by Sofie Geenen and co-authors. They found no consistent differences for the three species in either genital anatomy or DNA studies. They attribute the differences in color to the establishment of color variants through longer phases of self-fertilization. If these results are confirmed, Arion silvaticus (Lohmander, 1937) and Arion circumscriptus (Johnston, 1828) would be more recent synonyms of Arion fasciatus (Nilsson, 1823). All three species are placed in the subgenus Arion (Carinarion) (Hesse, 1926), which is not used by some authors .
differences
The closely related yellow-striped slug ( A. fasciatus ) differs from the forest slug in its yellowish base color. The gray slug, on the other hand, has more blue-gray hues.
Individual evidence
literature
- Rosina Fechter and Gerhard Falkner: molluscs. 287 pp., Munich, Mosaik-Verlag 1990 (Steinbach's Nature Guide 10), ISBN 3-570-03414-3
- Michael P. Kerney, RAD Cameron, Jürgen H. Jungbluth: The land snails of Northern and Central Europe. 384 pp., Paul Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1983, ISBN 3-490-17918-8
- Sofie Geenen, Kurt Jordaens, Thierry Backeljau: Molecular systematics of the Carinarion complex (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata): a taxonomic riddle caused by a mixed breeding system. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 89 (4): 589-604, London 2006 doi : 10.1111 / j.1095-8312.2006.00693.x