Veronicellidae: Phyllocaulis gayi

Family

Veronicellidae

Species

Phyllocaulis gayi (Fischer, 1871)

Common name

None reported.

Description

This pale, tan-colored slugSlug:
A snail that either does not possess a shell or has one that is very reduced (no definite coiling) or internal.
can get as large as 100 mm long and 20 mm wide. It typically has a cream colored-colored line running the entire length of the body. There may be grey speckling on its dorsum, creating a greyish-colored animal. 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.
appear blue or silver in color.

Native range

South America

Distribution

South and Central America: Mexico, Chile

Ecology

This granivorous (seed eating) species has been observed feeding on the seeds of the peanut plant (Arachis hypogea), and that of the trees Cryptocarya alba and Aetoxicum punctatum. This species may be considered an ecological pest, especially in forest regeneration.

Synonyms

• Vaginula gayi Fischer, 1871 in Fischer, 1871. Revision des especes du genere Vaginula Ferussac. Nouvelles Archives du Museum d'Historie Naturelle. Paris. 7: 147-175.
• Vaginula (Phyllocaulis) gayi Fischer, 1871 in Baker, 1925. North American Veronicellidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 77: 157-184.
• Phyllocaulus gayi (Fischer, 1871) in Thome, 1971. Redescricao dos tipos de Veronicellidae (Mollusca, GastropodGastropod:
  A single-shelled mollusc.
  ) neotropicais: VII especies depositadas no Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Franca. Iheringia (Zool.) 40: 27-52.

References

Naranjo-García et al. 2007; Rodrigues Gomes et al. 2009; Simonetti et al. 2003; Thome 1989