| Deroceras praecox | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Agriolimacidae |
| Genus: | Deroceras |
| Species: | D. praecox |
| Binomial name | |
| Deroceras praecox | |
Deroceras praecox is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
When Wiktor (1966) described D. praecox he distinguished two forms on the basis of their genitalia. Later Wiktor (1973) realised that one of the forms of D. praecox that he had distinguished was synonymous with Deroceras rodnae , described slightly earlier by Grossu & Lupu (1965). But the other form with a spiral end to its penis occupied a distinct range in the Sudeten mountains and neighboring areas; this is what is called D. praecox nowadays. It remains debatable whether D. praecox might be better viewed as a subspecies of D. rodnae (Hutchinson & Reise, 2009). Note that the distinct differences in mating behaviour between D. praecox and D. rodnae that Reise (1995) reported turn out to refer to differences between D. praecox and a more distant species, Deroceras juranum (Hutchinson & Reise, 2009).
The coloration of the body of this slug is usually snowy white or off-white mottled with grey (Wiktor, 2000). The head and tentacles are brownish. However, colour is often a misleading guide and identification should be based on dissection. Even within a site D. praecox may co-occur with other species that are indistinguishable externally (Reise & Hutchinson, 2001). Deroceras praecox is distinct in having a spiral pocket at the end of its penis .
This species occurs in Eastern Europe. It is not listed in the IUCN red list - and thus is not evaluated (NE) [1]
It occurs in:
A closely related form of uncertain taxonomic status occurs in the uplands south of Dresden, Germany (Hutchinson & Reise, 2009).
This slug occurs in woodland.
Apophallation is the biting off of the penis, known to occur in terrestrial slugs, which are hermaphroditic gastropod mollusks. It has been reported in some species of banana slugs, Ariolimax, and in the distantly related Deroceras laeve.
Deroceras laeve, the marsh slug, 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.
Deroceras reticulatum, common names the "grey field slug" and "grey garden slug", is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. This species is an important agricultural pest.
Agriolimacidae is a family of small and medium-sized land slugs, or shell-less snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.
Deroceras is a taxonomic genus of small to medium sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae.
Deroceras turcicum is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae.
Deroceras panormitanum is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. This article is about Deroceras panormitanumsensu stricto, which occurs predominantly only on Sicily and Malta. Previous to 2011, this name was also applied to what turned out to be a distinct species, Deroceras invadens, a species which has spread around the world and is often a pest. Because this is a recent change in the taxonomy, for information on the species commonly referred to in the literature before 2011 as Deroceras panormitanum, please see Deroceras invadens.
Deroceras rodnae is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
Milacidae is a family of air-breathing, keeled, land slugs. These are shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Parmacelloidea.
Boettgerilla pallens, common name the worm slug, is a European species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Boettgerillidae.
Arion circumscriptus, common name brown-banded arion, is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae. It is commonest in woodland, occurring across most of Europe, except for more southern regions, and is also widespread in North America. It has been argued that A. circumscriptus is best considered a colour morph of Arion fasciatus.
Deroceras juranum is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
Deroceras invadens is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. Until 2011, this widely distributed species was known as Deroceras panormitanum, and earlier as Deroceras caruanae or Agriolimax caruanae, but Reise et al. (2011) showed that these names refer to a distinct species of similar external appearance known at that time only from Sicily and Malta. Consequently, although the more widespread species was already well known, it then had to be redescribed under the new name of D. invadens. Genetic evidence has indicated that D. invadens is native in southern Italy, including parts of Sicily, and possibly parts of central Italy. Elsewhere it has been introduced, predominantly within the last 100 years, but its spread has been constrained by cold winter temperatures.
The mating of gastropods is a vast and varied topic, because the taxonomic class Gastropoda is very large and diverse, a group comprising sea snails and sea slugs, freshwater snails and land snails and slugs. Gastropods are second only to the class Insecta in terms of total number of species. Some gastropods have separate sexes, others are hermaphroditic. Some hermaphroditic groups have simultaneous hermaphroditism, whereas some sequential hermaphroditism. In addition, numerous very different mating strategies are used within different taxa.
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.
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