Malacolimax tenellus

Malacolimax tenellus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Limacidae
Genus: Malacolimax
Species:
M. tenellus
Binomial name
Malacolimax tenellus
Synonyms

Limax tenellus O.F. Müller, 1774, Limax fulvus Normand, 1852[4]

Malacolimax tenellus (lemon slug[5]) is a European species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Limacidae.

Description

The body is yellow in color, from pale to bright yellow, sometimes with a hint of orange, and the sole is pale yellow, and produces yellow slime. The head is gray or lilac and the tentacles are typically tinged with purple or are a blue-grey.[6] It can grow up to 50 mm (2 in).[7]

Distribution

This species is European, with a range extending from the Pyrenees to European Russia and northwards into Scandinavia. But it is absent from Ireland and most of southern Europe.[8]

Ecology

This species lives in both deciduous and coniferous woodland. It typically feeds at night on fungi.[6]

Parasites of Malacolimax tenellus include:

References

  1. ^ Kappes, H. (2017). "Malacolimax tenellus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T171028A1320234. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T171028A1320234.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Müller, O.F. (1774). Vermium terrestrium et fluviatilium, seu animalium infusorium, Helminthicorum, et testaceorum, non marinorum, succincta historia. vol 2. Havniae, Lipsiae: Heineck, Faber.
  3. ^ MolluscaBase Eds. "Malacolimax tenellus (O.F. Müller, 1774)". MolluscaBase. Flanders Marine Institute.
  4. ^ Regteren Altena, C.O. van (1958). "Notes sur les limaces. 4. Qu'est-ce que Limax fulvus Normand?". Basteria. 22 (1): 18–22.
  5. ^ "Lemon slug". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b Biles, Liz (2004-01-01). "Malacolimax tenellus the slender slug with a penchant for fungi". Field Mycology. 5 (1): 11–12. doi:10.1016/S1468-1641(10)60230-7. ISSN 1468-1641.
  7. ^ "AnimalBase :: Malacolimax tenellus species homepage". www.animalbase.uni-goettingen.de. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  8. ^ Welter-Schultes, F. W. (2012). European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification: Bestimmungsbuch für europäische Land- und Süsswassermollusken (First ed.). Göttingen: Planet Poster Editions. ISBN 9783933922755.
  9. ^ Olsson I.-M., Stéen M. & Mann H. (1993). "Gastropod hosts of Elaphostrongylus spp. (Protostrongylidae, Nematoda)". Rangifer. 13 (1): 53–55. doi:10.7557/2.13.1.1074.