A network that helps people worldwide obtain rapid advice and information on crop protection, including the identification and management of plant pests.
PestNet is a network that helps people worldwide obtain rapid advice and information on crop protection, including the identification and management of plant pests. It started in 1999. Anyone with an interest in plant protection is welcome to join. PestNet is free and is moderated, ensuring that messages are confined to plant protection.
November 2010. Slugs were reported from Hdh. Kumundhoo island, North Maldives, and control methods were requested.
Although there was one suggestion that they might be flatworms (phylum Platyhelminthes) of the class Turbellaria, most people who responded suggested that they were Veronicellid slugs. There was an offer of identification if they were kept in the deep freeze for 1 day and then put into 70-80% ethanol.
These are veronicellid slugs, and most likely Semperula or Filicaulis species. There is also the possibility that they are Veronicella cubensis, a very serious agricultural pest and potential disease carrier, that is spreading across the Pacific Basin. Specimens should be dissected for ID.
If they are veronicellids, then the tentacles on the head should be distinctive; when the long pair of tentacles is extended, each is tipped with a dark eye. If the tentacle is touched the black eye should remain visible if it is a veronicellid slug. In other slug families, the black eye disappears as the tentacle begins to retract. In Veronicellidae the mantle completely covers the dorsum and there is no visible breathing hole. To see the foot, turn the slug over and view the ventral surface. These tropical slugs are herbivorous and can cause damage to crops.
Also note, The USDA Malacology laboratory in Philadelphia offers free identification of any veronicellid slug species, using anatomical and molecular methods. Submit samples for ID in 80% ethanol to the address below; no paperwork is required for entry into the US other than these words on the package: ???Preserved samples for scientific study; no commercial value.??? Address to: David G Robinson, USDA APHIS Malacology Laboratory, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.