Family LIMACIDAE Batsch, 1789

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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

General References

Altena, C.O. van R. & Smith, B.J. 1975. Notes on introduced slugs of the families Limacidae and Milacidae in Australia, with two new records. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 3: 63-80

Barker, G.M. 1999. Naturalised terrestrial Stylommatophora (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Fauna of New Zealand, 38. Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand : Manaaki Whenua Press 253 pp.

Fechter, R. & Falkner, G. 1990. Weichtiere. Europäische Meeres-und Binnenmollusken. München : Mosaik Verlag 287 pp.

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

Quick, H.E. 1960. British Slugs (Pulmonata : Testacellidae, Arionidae, Limacidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology 6: 103-226

Smith, B.J. 1998. Family Limacidae. pp. 1102-1103 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234.

History of changes