Spanish slug
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| Spanish slug | ||||||||||||||
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| Arion lusitanicus (Mabille, 1868) |
The Spanish slug, more commonly known in English-speaking countries under its Latin name, Arion lusitanicus, is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae, the roundback slugs.
This is a highly invasive slug species. It is often considered a pest, not only in areas where it has been accidentally introduced, but even in places where it is indigenous.
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[edit] Distribution
The species originates from the Iberian Peninsula, although it is noticed far more often in northern parts of Europe, where it was first discovered in the mid-1900s.
This species occurs in countries and islands which include:
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Denmark
- and other areas
[edit] Description
The animal is about the same size as its relative, the black slug, growing to a maximum size of about 12 cm. Leopard dots are a characteristic feature, albeit not present among all individuals.
[edit] As an invasive species
The local name of the slug in the regions it has invaded is typically a translation of "Spanish slug." In recent years, as its dominance has increased, it has been nicknamed "killer slug", perhaps due to its tendency to eat dead or weaker individuals of the species, although its destructive impact on gardens may seem just as appropriate a reason for the name.
The main reason behind problematic invasions of gardens by the Spanish slug is that, like all pulmonate snails and slugs, it is a hermaphrodite, meaning that one single slug can start an infestation. Offspring numbering up to 100 eggs may be produced. Poor control of exported produce may also be a cause, as the main route for the slugs to spread is through careless handling of imported produce from Spain and Portugal.
In recent years, it has been rumoured that the Spanish slug has bred with the indigenous black slug to produce a more frost-resistant variety in the more northerly regions.
[edit] See also
- Black slug
- Slug controls (on Wikibooks)
- Slug
[edit] External links
- (Finnish) map of expansion
