| Bielzia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bielzia coerulans | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Limacidae |
| Genus: | Bielzia Clessin, 1887 [1] |
| Species: | B. coerulans |
| Binomial name | |
| Bielzia coerulans | |
| Synonyms [3] | |
| |
Bielzia coerulans, commonly known as the Carpathian blue slug or simply the blue slug, is a species of very large land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs.
Bielzia coerulans was discovered in 1847 and described under the name Limax coerulans by Austrian-Hungarian malacologist, Michael Bielz (1787-1866), in 1851. (His son Eduard Albert Bielz was also a malacologist.)
Bielzia coerulans is the only species in the genus Bielzia. [4]
Some authors, for example Russian malacologists, [3] classify genus Bielzia as the only genus (monotypic) within the separate family, Limacopsidae. [3] [5] There is also a separate subfamily, Bielziinae, for genus Bielzia (I. M. Likharev & Wiktor, 1980).
According to the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), Limacopsidae and Bielziinae are synonyms for Limacinae. [6]
This species is endemic to the Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe.
The type locality of Bielzia coerulans is South Carpathians in Romania. [3]
This slug turns blue when an adult and becomes 100 – 140 mm in length. [12] It is evenly blue or bluish green (occasionally black) with a dark greyish head and tentacles, and margins pale yellowish, sole pale yellowish or whitish. [12]
Juveniles are yellowish brown with dark lateral bands. [12]
Reproductive system: Genitalia are without penis. [12] There is only an accessory organ for copulation. [12]
Bielzia coerulans inhabits deciduous and coniferous forests in mountains, usually at the bottom, or under dead wood logs. [12]
Maturity is in June to July. [12] Copulation occurs at the soil. [12] There are 30-80 eggs laid in one clutch. [12] Adults die after egg deposition. [12] Half grown juveniles hibernate. [12] Fully grown slugs appear in May. [12]
Limacus flavus, known commonly as the cellar slug, the yellow slug, or the tawny garden slug, is a medium to large species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Limacidae.
Limax maximus, known by the common names great grey slug and leopard slug, is a species of slug in the family Limacidae, the keeled slugs. It is among the largest keeled slugs, Limax cinereoniger being the largest.
Limax is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk family Limacidae.
Limax cinereoniger is a large species of air-breathing land slug in the terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk family Limacidae, the keelback slugs. This is the largest land slug species in the world.
Deroceras praecox is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
Arion distinctus is a species of air-breathing land slug in the family Arionidae, sometimes known as the roundback slugs. It is a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc. Several vernacular names exist, but it is unclear if they are much in use: brown soil slug, common garden slug, darkface arion, Mabille's orange-soled slug, April slug.
Agriolimacidae is a family of small and medium-sized land slugs, or shell-less snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
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.
Deroceras rodnae is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
Trigonochlamydidae is a family of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial gastropod molluscs in the clade Eupulmonata.
Boettgerilla is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Boettgerillidae.
Juliidae, common name the bivalved gastropods, is a family of minute sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the superfamily Oxynooidea, an opisthobranch group.
The Limacoidei is a taxonomic infraorder of air-breathing land snails, semislugs and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the suborder Helicina
Limacinae are a taxonomic subfamily of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Limacidae.
Limacus maculatus, the green cellar slug or Irish yellow slug, is a species of slug native to the Caucasus and Black Sea coast. It has also been introduced to a number of northern European countries and Russia.
Lehmannia carpatica is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Limacidae.
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference. [12]
Media related to Bielzia coerulans at Wikimedia Commons