Laevicaulis alte is a round, dark-coloured slug with no shell, 7 or 8 cm (2.8 or 3.1 in) long. Its skin is slightly tuberculated. The central keel is beige in colour.
This slug has a unique, very narrow foot; juvenile specimens have a foot 1 mm (0.039 in) wide and adult specimens have a foot that is only 4 or 5 mm (0.16 or 0.20 in) wide.
The tentacles are small, 2 or 3 mm (0.079 or 0.118 in) long, and they are only rarely extended beyond the edge of the mantle.
The species is already established in the USA, and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[7]
Habitatedit
Laevicaulis alte lives in dry areas, mostly at lower altitudes.[citation needed]
The slug hatches from eggs. Laevicaulis alte has several adaptations for living in dry conditions: a rounded shape with as small as possible surface area, and a narrow foot to reduce evaporation.
Juvenile specimens search for food nearly always at night, and stay buried in the soil during the day. Larger specimens are active during the day sometimes. The slug can grow up from 0.5 cm (0.20 in) to approximately 4 cm (1.6 in) in length in 7 months.
^ ab. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
^Rowson B., Warren B. H. & Ngereza C. F. (2010). "Terrestrial molluscs of Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, and its status as an "oceanic" island". ZooKeys70: 1-39. doi:10.3897/zookeys.70.762
^Wu S.-P., Hwang C.-C., Huang H.-M., Chang H.-W., Lin Y.-S. & Lee P.-F. (2007). "". Taiwania52(2): 145–151. Original.
^. www.natureserve.org. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
^Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). "Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment". American Malacological Bulletin27: 113–132. PDF 2016-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
External linksedit
Wikispecies has information related to Tropical leatherleaf.
articles at PubMed
Distribution in Australia
Distribution in United States 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
In English and in Chinese
Imagesedit
, (In Japanese)
at Samoan Snail Project
(Japanese)
Photo (Japanese)
Photo (Japanese)
(Japanese)
Genomeedit
Sequences 18S rRNA
Vernacular names
October 27, 2023
laevicaulis, alte, tropical, leatherleaf, species, tropical, land, slug, terrestrial, pulmonate, gastropod, mollusk, family, veronicellidae, leatherleaf, slugs, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, molluscaclass, gastropodasubcla. Laevicaulis alte or the tropical leatherleaf is a species of tropical land slug a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae the leatherleaf slugs Laevicaulis alteScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum MolluscaClass GastropodaSubclass HeterobranchiaOrder SystellommatophoraFamily VeronicellidaeGenus LaevicaulisSpecies L alteBinomial nameLaevicaulis alte Ferussac 1822 Synonyms 1 Eleutherocaulis alte Ferussac 1822 Filicaulis alte Ferussac 1822 Filicaulis frauenfeldi Semper 1885 Laevicaulis maillardi P Fischer 1871 Meisenheimeria alte Ferussac 1822 Vaginula bocagei Simroth 1893 Vaginula brevis P Fischer 1871 Vaginula elegans Semper 1885 Vaginula frauenfeldi Semper 1885 Vaginula leydigi Simroth 1889 Vaginula leydigi var celebensis Simroth 1918 Vaginula leydigi var keyana Simroth 1918 Vaginula maculosa Hasselt 1830 Vaginula maillardi P Fischer 1871 Vaginulus alte Ferussac 1822 Vaginulus petersi E von Martens 1879 Veronicella petersi E von Martens 1879 Veronicella willeyi Collinge 1900 Contents 1 Description 2 Parasites 3 Predators 4 Distribution 5 Habitat 6 Life cycle 7 References 8 External links 8 1 Images 8 2 GenomeDescription editLaevicaulis alte is a round dark coloured slug with no shell 7 or 8 cm 2 8 or 3 1 in long Its skin is slightly tuberculated The central keel is beige in colour This slug has a unique very narrow foot juvenile specimens have a foot 1 mm 0 039 in wide and adult specimens have a foot that is only 4 or 5 mm 0 16 or 0 20 in wide The tentacles are small 2 or 3 mm 0 079 or 0 118 in long and they are only rarely extended beyond the edge of the mantle Parasites editThis slug is an intermediate host for Angiostrongylus cantonensis the rat lungworm a round worm the most common cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis 2 Predators editLaevicaulis alte is eaten by the frog Rana tigrina 2 nbsp View of contracted individual the anterior front end is to the rightDistribution editThe species is probably indigenous to Africa both western Africa and eastern Africa particularly Tanzania 3 It has been introduced and has become an invasive species 4 in the following areas Southern Asia Pratas Island Taiwan 5 United States Hawaii 6 Islands in the Indian Ocean Australia since 1889 SamoaThe species is already established in the USA and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture natural ecosystems human health or commerce Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA 7 Habitat editLaevicaulis alte lives in dry areas mostly at lower altitudes citation needed nbsp Ventral view of foot of juvenile specimenLife cycle editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The slug hatches from eggs Laevicaulis alte has several adaptations for living in dry conditions a rounded shape with as small as possible surface area and a narrow foot to reduce evaporation Juvenile specimens search for food nearly always at night and stay buried in the soil during the day Larger specimens are active during the day sometimes The slug can grow up from 0 5 cm 0 20 in to approximately 4 cm 1 6 in in length in 7 months References edit Laevicaulis alte Global Biodiversity Information Facility Retrieved 30 June 2021 a b Christoph Hogger Antagonists of Slugs and Snails Archived from the original on 2007 12 14 Retrieved 2016 10 05 Rowson B Warren B H amp Ngereza C F 2010 Terrestrial molluscs of Pemba Island Zanzibar Tanzania and its status as an oceanic island ZooKeys 70 1 39 doi 10 3897 zookeys 70 762 Laevicaulis alte Laevicaulis alte Ferussac Wu S P Hwang C C Huang H M Chang H W Lin Y S amp Lee P F 2007 Land Molluscan Fauna of the Dongsha Island with Twenty New Recorded Species Taiwania 52 2 145 151 Original Comprehensive Report Species Laevicaulis alte www natureserve org Archived from the original on 2007 09 26 Cowie R H Dillon R T Robinson D G amp Smith J W 2009 Alien non marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States A preliminary risk assessment American Malacological Bulletin 27 113 132 PDF Archived 2016 06 16 at the Wayback MachineExternal links edit nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Tropical leatherleaf articles at PubMed Distribution in Australia Distribution in United States Archived 2008 10 11 at the Wayback Machine In English and in ChineseImages edit Drawing of ventral part of body photo In Japanese Laevicaulis alte at Samoan Snail Project Photo Japanese Photo Japanese Photo Japanese Photo Japanese Genome edit Sequences 18S rRNA Vernacular names Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Laevicaulis alte amp oldid 1158036576, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
