Ambigolimax

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Ambigolimax
Ambigolimax.jpg
An active Ambigolimax slug in Fremont, California
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Limacidae
Genus: Ambigolimax
Pollonera, 1887 [1]
Type species
Ambigolimax valentianus
(Férussac, 1821)

Ambigolimax is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs. [2] There is still ongoing disagreement whether it is more appropriate to consider Ambigolimax as merely a subgenus of Lehmannia ; the evidence for splitting them is phylogenetic trees constructed on the basis of DNA sequences.

Contents

Species

The species in the genus are:

A. valentianus, drawn by Pollonera; from his original subgenus description Pollonera Lehmannia valentiana BollMusZoolAnatCompTor V2T1.jpg
A. valentianus, drawn by Pollonera; from his original subgenus description

These species are not reliably distinguishable on the basis of external characters, so identification requires either dissection to reveal the genitalia or DNA sequencing. [5]

In addition, Lehmannia melitensis is treated as a species of Ambigolimax by Hutchinson et al. (2022) based on similarity of DNA sequences. [5]

Previous usage of the name Ambigolimax nyctelius has now been shown to refer to several species that had been confused: A. parvipenis, A. waterstoni, and Lehmannia carpatica . Furthermore, the species name nyctelius actually refers to a species of Letourneuxia (family Arionidae). [5] [8]

Taxonomic history

Ambigolimax was constructed by Pollonera in 1887 [1] to encompass A. valentianus and what he called A. fulvus but is now understood to be Malacolimax tenellus . [9] He considered Ambigolimax as a subgenus of Agriolimax (now Deroceras ) in the family Agriolimacidae. In 1926, Hesse transferred it to become a subgenus of Lehmannia in the family Limacidae. [10] Since about 2007 the increasing tendency has been to split Lehmannia s.l. into two genera, Lehmannia s.s. and Ambigolimax, based on molecular evidence that phylogenetically Malacolimax sits within the Lehmannia s.l. clade. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Limax</i> Genus of land slug

Limax is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk family Limacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limacidae</span> Family of keelback slugs

Limacidae, also known by their common name the keelback slugs, are a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large, air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Limacoidea.

<i>Lehmannia</i> Genus of slugs

Lehmannia is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs. The genus is distributed in Europe and North Africa.

<i>Ambigolimax valentianus</i> Species of terrestrial slug

Ambigolimax valentianus is a species of terrestrial slug, a pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Limacidae. It has spread very widely around the world, especially in greenhouses, where it can be a pest; in warmer climates it has often then spread outdoors. Comparatively much has been learnt about its life cycle and temperature relations. Dissection is necessary to reliably distinguish it from congeners in regions where these co-occur.

Letourneuxia is a genus of large air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Arionidae, the roundback slugs.

<i>Lehmannia melitensis</i> Species of gastropod

Lehmannia melitensis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a shell-less pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Limacidae.

<i>Deroceras cecconii</i> Species of gastropod

Deroceras cecconii is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. Although it was long considered a synonym of Deroceras panormitanum, a 2020 article establishes that it is a distinct species widely distributed in the central part of the Italian peninsula. It is also known as an introduction at one site in eastern Germany.

The name Ambigolimax nyctelius has been used to refer to several species of air-breathing land slugs in the family Limacidae. An article published in 2022 revealed this confusion and furthermore showed that the original description applied to a slug species in a different family. The above names are therefore no longer appropriate and care is need to interpret the meaning of earlier usages.

Letourneuxia nyctelia is a species of terrestrial slug, a gastropod mollusc, belonging to the family Arionidae.

<i>Ambigolimax parvipenis</i> Species of land slug

Ambigolimax parvipenis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the Limacidae.

Ambigolimax waterstoni is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Limacidae.

Lehmannia carpatica is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Limacidae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pollonera, Carlo (1887). "Intorno ad alcuni Limacidi europei poco noti". Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino. 2 (21): 1–4, pl. 1.
  2. ↑ Marshall, B. (2015). Ambigolimax Pollonera, 1887. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=819989 on 2015-04-15
  3. ↑ Vendetti, J.E.; Burnett, E.; Carlton, L.; Curran, A.T.; Lee, C.; Matsumoto, R.; Mc Donnell, R.; Reich, I.; Willadsen, O. (11 July 2019). "The introduced terrestrial slugs Ambigolimax nyctelius (Bourguignat, 1861) and Ambigolimax valentianus (Férussac, 1821) (Gastropoda: Limacidae) in California, with a discussion of taxonomy, systematics, and discovery by citizen science". Journal of Natural History. 53 (25–26): 1607–1632. doi:10.1080/00222933.2018.1536230.
  4. ↑ "Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1821)". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hutchinson, J.M.C.; Reise, H.; Schlitt, B. (7 July 2022). "Will the real Limax nyctelius please step forward: Lehmannia, Ambigolimax, or Malacolimax? No, Letourneuxia!". Archiv für Molluskenkunde. 151 (1): 19–41. doi:10.1127/arch.moll/151/019-041.
  6. ↑ "Ambigolimax parvipenis Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ambigolimax waterstoni Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Ambigolimax nyctelius Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Altena, C.O. van Regteren (1958). "Notes sur les limaces. 4. Qu'est-ce que Limax fulvus Normand?" (PDF). Basteria. 22 (1): 18–20.
  10. ↑ Hesse, P. (1926). "Die Nacktschnecken der palaearktischen Région". Abhandlungen des Archivs für Molluskenkunde. 2 (1): 1–152 + 2 pls.


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