Deroceras rodnae
Encyclopedia
Deroceras rodnae is a species
of air-breathing land slug
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
in Romania by Romanian malacologists Alexandru Vasile Grossu and Dochiţa Lupu in 1965. The figure in the original description is inadequate, but Wiktor (1973) inspected the type specimen and found it to agree with one of the forms of Deroceras praecox
that he had described at about the same time (Wiktor, 1966). The name Deroceras rodnae has priority for that form and Deroceras praecox is now restricted to a form with a curved pocket at the end of the penis.
Recently Hutchinson & Reise (2009) showed that western populations of Deroceras rodnae mate in a way so incompatible with that of populations from the east that they must be different species. The morphological differences in preserved specimens are subtle but molecular analyses have confirmed this distinction. Deroceras juranum
Wüthrich, 1993 is the appropriate name to use for these western populations from the Alps and Germany.
Deroceras rodnae s.s. shows considerable interpopulation variation in its genital morphology
. For instance, in the Lesser Fatra
Mountains (Malá Fatra) of Slovakia is a form with a long sarcobelum which Mácha (1981) described as a new species Deroceras fatrense
but which Wiktor (2000) synonymised with Deroceras rodnae. It remains debatable whether Deroceras praecox might also be viewed as merely another such subspecific form. Note that the clear differences in mating behaviour between Deroceras praecox and Deroceras rodnae reported by Reise (1995) now turn out to refer to differences between Deroceras praecox and Deroceras juranum.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of air-breathing land slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.
Taxonomy
Deroceras rodnae was originally described from the Rodna MountainsRodna Mountains
Rodna Mountains are a subdivision of the Eastern Carpathians in Northern Romania. The name comes from the nearby Rodna Veche village.The Rodna Mountains have one of the longest continuous ridges in Romania, with over 50 km from west to east...
in Romania by Romanian malacologists Alexandru Vasile Grossu and Dochiţa Lupu in 1965. The figure in the original description is inadequate, but Wiktor (1973) inspected the type specimen and found it to agree with one of the forms of Deroceras praecox
Deroceras praecox
Deroceras praecox is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.-Taxonomy:...
that he had described at about the same time (Wiktor, 1966). The name Deroceras rodnae has priority for that form and Deroceras praecox is now restricted to a form with a curved pocket at the end of the penis.
Recently Hutchinson & Reise (2009) showed that western populations of Deroceras rodnae mate in a way so incompatible with that of populations from the east that they must be different species. The morphological differences in preserved specimens are subtle but molecular analyses have confirmed this distinction. Deroceras juranum
Deroceras juranum
Deroceras juranum is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.-Taxonomy:...
Wüthrich, 1993 is the appropriate name to use for these western populations from the Alps and Germany.
Deroceras rodnae s.s. shows considerable interpopulation variation in its genital morphology
Reproductive system of gastropods
The reproductive system of gastropods varies greatly from one group to another within this very large and diverse taxonomic class of animals...
. For instance, in the Lesser Fatra
Lesser Fatra
Lesser Fatra is a mountain range in the Western Carpathians in the north-west of Central Slovakia. In the geomorphological system, it is a part of the Fatra-Tatra Area....
Mountains (Malá Fatra) of Slovakia is a form with a long sarcobelum which Mácha (1981) described as a new species Deroceras fatrense
Deroceras fatrense
Deroceras fatrense is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae.This species is endemic to Slovakia....
but which Wiktor (2000) synonymised with Deroceras rodnae. It remains debatable whether Deroceras praecox might also be viewed as merely another such subspecific form. Note that the clear differences in mating behaviour between Deroceras praecox and Deroceras rodnae reported by Reise (1995) now turn out to refer to differences between Deroceras praecox and Deroceras juranum.