Limacus flavus

Family

Limacidae

Species

Limacus flavus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name

Yellow gardenslug, Cellar slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
, Tawny garden slug

Description

As the common name suggests, this slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
is yellow in appearance with grayish-green mottling covering the entire body. In contrast, the tentaclesTentacles:
Sensory projections on the head end of a mollusc. There are generally two pairs; upper (posterior) and smaller, lower (anterior). The upper pair bears the eyes. In many snails the eyes are located at the tips of this structure; however, in Basommatophoran snail species, the eyes are located at the base of the tentacles.
are pale bluish or bluish black in color. Adults of the slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
range in length from 75 to 115 mm or more. The oval mantleMantle:
A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
has ridges that appear to have a fingerprint-like pattern. The baseBase:
This is the lower or underside of the shell; opposite of apical.
color of the mantleMantle:
A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
is black or dark gray, and the reticulations are yellow-white in color. The pneumostomePneumostome:
This is the breathing hole on the right side of the mantle of molluscs. This allows air to pass through to the lung for gas exchange.(See also breathing pore).
is located behind the midline of the mantleMantle:
A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
and is surrounded by a halo. The keelKeel:
Also known as the carina. This is a longitudinal ridge that runs dorsally along the apex of the tail of the animal.
only appears close to the end of the slug's tail. Interestingly, the body mucus is yellowish and very adhesive, while the footFoot:
The muscular organ on the undersurface of the body of a mollusc upon which the animal rests or uses to crawl.
mucus is colorless. The sole of the footFoot:
The muscular organ on the undersurface of the body of a mollusc upon which the animal rests or uses to crawl.
is yellow-white.

Native range

Southern and Western Europe

Distribution

North America:

• U.S.: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Wisconsin

Pacific Islands: Hawaii

Australasia: New Zealand

Europe

Ecology

Limacus flavus prefers dark, moist habitats, where it can lay between 12 to 32 eggs per clutch, totaling 60-138 per individual, with each egg measuring 5.0-6.3 mm. This species can be found in diverse habitats ranging from compost piles, gardens and woodlands to greenhouses. The diet includes lichen, fungi and plant material. This species has been reported as an occasional pest in gardens. It has been recorded that Limacus flavus display food aversions when the food is suspected to be noxious. This sensitization can be displayed for up to 3 weeks without error.

Synonyms

• Limax flavus Linnaeus, 1758. Systema Naturae, Edito decima, reformata 1: 692. Type locality Sweden.
• Limax variegatus Draparnaud, 1801. Tabl. Moll. 103.
• Limacella ungicula Brard, 1815. Hist. terr. fluv. Environs Paris: 115.
• Limax megaldontes Quoy and Gaimard, 1824. Voyage l'Uranie et la Physic. Zool.: 428.
• Limax umbrosus Philippi, 1844. Enum. Moll. Siciliae: 102.
• Krynickillus maculatus Kaleniczenko, 1851. Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou 24: 226.
• Limax olivacius Gould, 1852. U.S. Expl. Exped. XII: 4.
• Limax erenbergii Bourguignat, 1853. Cat. Moll. Saulcy: 3.
• Krynickia maculata P. Fischer, 1856. J. Conchyliol. 5: 69.
• Limax deshayesi Bourguignat, 1861. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2)13: 302.
• Limax companyoi Bourguignat, 1863. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2)15: 179.
• Limax breckworthianus Lehmann, 1864. Malakozool. Bl. 12: 105.
• Limax beaticus Mabille, 1868. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2)20: 145.

References

Anderson 2005; Barker 1979; Branson 1962; Branson 1980; Cowie 1997; Forsyth 2004; Kantor et al. 2009; Kerney et al. 1979; Landauer and Cardullo 1983; McDonnell et al. 2009; Roth and Sadeghian 2006; Thomas et al. 2010