Morphological description of Laevicaulis stuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) (Pulmonata, Veronicellidae) from Egypt

Abstract

Terrestrial slugs are becoming abundant quarantine pests attacking many agricultural and horticultural crops as well as ornamental plants in Egyptian fields resulting in increasing loss of the commercial value and decreasing the economic quality . Recently, a number of quarantine-significant terrestrial slugs have been recorded in Egyptian ornamental plant nurseries and gardens such as Deroceras reticulatum (O.F. Müller, 1774, Deroceras laeve (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Agriolimacidae), Limacus flavus (Linnaeus, 1758), Ambigolimax valentianus (d’A. de Férussac, 1821) (Limacidae) and Laevicaulis alte (d’A. de Férussac, 1821). This paper provides a detailed morphological and anatomical description of the veronicellid slug Laevicaulis stuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) that has been recently recorded from Egypt. This population from Egypt is compared with Laevicaulis striatus recently reported and described from Libya and with available data in literature. Some notes and a distribution map of the veronicellids introduced in Northeastern Africa are provided.