Veronicella sloanei
Encyclopedia
Veronicella sloanei, common name
the Pancake Slug, is a species
of air-breathing land slug
, a terrestrial
, pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae
, the leatherleaf slugs.
and inspection of the genitalia
. It is usually very pale in color, ranging from mottle pale yellow, cream to white. It may have irregular black spotting or speckling all over the dorsal surface that may coalesce into two poorly defined bands running down either side of the body; in the juveniles, these two bands may be clearer and better defined as grey bands, especially anteriorly. Occasionally the snail can be mostly brownish. The only constant color character among different Caribbean
island populations is the eye stalk which is bluish grey with the tip light brown.
. The type locality is in Jamaica.
Other non-indigenous distribution includes:
This slug has been introduced to Florida
and it has become an agriculture pest there.
Controversially Cowie et al. (2009) considered this species has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine
significance in the USA.
The best times to hunt for the slug is after rainfall. They rest under boards, logs and other objects lying on the ground.
, plantain
, various beans and peas
, peanut
, eggplant, cultivars of Brassica
(e.g., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), carrot, hot and sweet peppers, various citrus species, lettuce, sweet potato, dasheen, eddoe
, tannia, tomato, and yam
.
They should not be handled with bare hands as they may carry some nematode
diseases.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the Pancake Slug, is a species
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 Veronicellidae
Veronicellidae
The Veronicellidae, common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a terrestrial family of pulmonate slugs.This family has no subfamilies ....
, the leatherleaf slugs.
Description
When extended, this slug can attain a length of 12 cm (5 in.). It is highly variable in coloration and positive identification depends on dissectionDissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
and inspection of the genitalia
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...
. It is usually very pale in color, ranging from mottle pale yellow, cream to white. It may have irregular black spotting or speckling all over the dorsal surface that may coalesce into two poorly defined bands running down either side of the body; in the juveniles, these two bands may be clearer and better defined as grey bands, especially anteriorly. Occasionally the snail can be mostly brownish. The only constant color character among different Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island populations is the eye stalk which is bluish grey with the tip light brown.
Distribution
The indigenous distribution of Veronicella sloanei is JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The type locality is in Jamaica.
Other non-indigenous distribution includes:
- BarbadosBarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
- BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
- Dominica - first report from Dominica in 2009
- Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
- Saint LuciaSaint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
- Saint VincentSaint Vincent (island)Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
- Cuba (Bahia HondaBahia Honda, CubaBahía Honda is a municipality and city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba. Before 2011 belonged to Pinar del Río Province. It is located on the northern shore of the island, in an inlet of the Florida Straits, west of Havana. The sheltered bay that gives the name of the municipality contains an...
in Pinar del Río ProvincePinar del Río ProvincePinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
).
This slug has been introduced to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and it has become an agriculture pest there.
Controversially Cowie et al. (2009) considered this species has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
significance in the USA.
Habitat
This slug lives in moist conditions and is nocturnal.The best times to hunt for the slug is after rainfall. They rest under boards, logs and other objects lying on the ground.
Feeding habits
This species attacks a wide variety of agricultural and horticultural plants including bananaBanana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
, various beans and peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
, eggplant, cultivars of Brassica
Brassica
Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards...
(e.g., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), carrot, hot and sweet peppers, various citrus species, lettuce, sweet potato, dasheen, eddoe
Eddoe
Eddoe is a tropical vegetable, a variety of Colocasia esculenta, closely related to taro , that is primarily used for its thickened stems . It has smaller corms than taro, and in all but the best cultivars there is an acrid taste that requires careful cooking...
, tannia, tomato, and yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
.
Life cycle
The slug lays a clutch of about 30 eggs, which are about 5 mm in diameter. The hatching time in captivity was 15 days at 24 °C.Importance for humans
This species is an agricultural pest.They should not be handled with bare hands as they may carry some nematode
Nematode
The nematodes or roundworms are the most diverse phylum of pseudocoelomates, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. It has been estimated that the total number of nematode...
diseases.
Further reading
Quattrini D. & Lanza B. (15 December 1968). "Observations on the gonads of Veronicella sloanei (Cuvier) (Gastropoda soleolifera veronicellidae)". Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper. 44(23): 2023-2026.External links
- Images from http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/metazoa1.html
- http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/tveronicellasloanei1.JPG
- http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/veronicellasloanei2.JPG