Parmacella ibera

Family

Parmacellidae

Species

Parmacella ibera Eichwald, 1841

Common name

Melon slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
, Vine slug

Description

This slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
is often mistaken for a snail as the shellShell:
A hard, inflexible, calcareous or chitinous structure that vary in size and may either completely encasing the animal, covering some part of it or be internal.
is often exposed. This thick-walled shellShell:
A hard, inflexible, calcareous or chitinous structure that vary in size and may either completely encasing the animal, covering some part of it or be internal.
is very narrow with a smooth apexApex:
The tip of the spire of a shell.
. The shellShell:
A hard, inflexible, calcareous or chitinous structure that vary in size and may either completely encasing the animal, covering some part of it or be internal.
of this species does not coil (possess whorlsWhorls:
Pleural of whorl. A whorl is a complete spiral turn/growth of the shell of a mollusc. The whorls are counted from the apex outwards.
). It typically has a brownish yellow color with many tuberclesTubercles:
An enlarged or raised region on the body of a slug. The shape of this structure is very variable. (See also tubercle)
and wrinkles in the apertureAperture:
The major opening of a shell that the body of the animal may be retracted.
(opening). The body of the animal is brown with dark brown bands running the length 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.
. The animal is generally 32 mm long. The mantleMantle:
A fleshy, membranous covering of the anterior portion of the body of a mollusc. It secretes the materials that form the shell.
covers most of the body and can measure up to 20 mm.

Native range

Mediterranean region (Iberian peninsula)

Distribution

Europe

Asia: Georgia, Armenia, Iran

Africa: Egypt, Libya

Ecology

This slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
is a serious pest of citrus in Iran. It may also cause damage to field-grown tomatoes, cabbage, melons, pumpkins and cucumber. This species will go into diapauseDiapause:
Being in a state of arrest (often predetermined and lasts for a specific period of time).
during the warm season and will deposit eggs as deep as 50 mm below the soil surface.

Synonyms

• Parmacella olivieri var. ibera Eichwald, 1841
• Parmacella olivieri sensu Simroth, 1883 non Cuvier, 1804
• Parmacella simrothi Germain, 1912
• Clathropodium vitrinaeformis Westerlund, 1897

References

Kantor et al. 2009