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Family LIMACIDAE Batsch, 1789

Introduction

A family of slugs which is native to the Palaearctic Region. Many species have been recorded as successful world travellers and have been accidentally introduced into most temperate regions of the world, including Australia, probably on farm machinery and stock plants brought in by the new settlers. These slugs are surprisingly resistant to adverse environmental conditions and have the ability to hide in very small crevices. They feed mainly on live plants and are classed as pest species. The Australian species were revised by Altena & Smith (1975).

Some taxa previously included in the Limicidae (e.g. in Smith 1992) are now included in the Agriolimacidae.

The family is characterized by the pneumopore being towards the posterior end of the right margin of the mantle and the keel confined to the posterior end of the body.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

LIMACIDAE: Lehmannia nyctelia (Bourguignat, 1861) [(= Letourneuxia nyctelia) name previously applied to Ambigolimax waterstoni;] — Hutchinson, J.M.C., Reise, H. and Schlitt, B. 2022. Will the real Limax nyctelius please step forward: Lehmannia, Ambigolimax, or Malacolimax? No, Letourneuxia!. Archiv für Molluskenkunde 151(1): 19-41

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
15-Nov-2024 LIMACIDAE Batsch, 1789 15-Oct-2024 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)