Lehmannia nyctelia

Eastern slug ( Lehmannia nyctelia )

The Eastern slug ( Lehmannia nyctelia ), also Spurious Baumschnegel, is originally a native in South East Europe Nacktschneckenart from the family of slug ( Limacidae ). It has now been nearly abducted in temperate regions worldwide.

Features

The animal measures in the adult stage extended about 5 cm. The body is light colored gray - yellow. Laterally there are two dark streaks ( binding) that are located near the top. Two darker tying run near the edges of the shell plate. Some animals have even further to an irregular pattern of darker spots on the mantle shield, which can be concentrated in certain circumstances to a " binding agent ". There are also almost pale copies, which color pattern and binding almost completely absent. In mountainous regions also completely black forms occur. The blowhole is bordered often dark. The sole is colored light gray, the mucus is colorless. The keel is fairly limited short and to the rear part of the foot. In the male part of the reproductive organs of a cylindrical penis is irregularly twisted or rolled up spirally. The basal part of the penis is usually pigmented dark. There is no peniale gland present.

Similar Species

The Eastern slug is not easy to distinguish in the drawing highly variable and using external characteristics of Lehmannia marginata.

Geographical occurrence, habitat and behavior

The original range of the species is not known for sure, it probably lies in the region of Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Today, the occurrence extends from Bulgaria, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic to southern Germany and in the north to the south of Poland. In the mountains the nature rises up to 2700 m. The species is often found in greenhouses in Europe. Meanwhile, the Eastern slug is also still been deported to North Africa, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the United States.

The species lives in Europe, mainly in beech woods, in the mountains up above the tree line. She crawls around on trees, rocks and screes and hides under the bark of trees and under stones.

Threats and conservation

In Bavaria, the species is on the Red List of endangered snails and mussels ( Mollusca ), also in Berlin. After the recent " Red (s) List of Binnenmollusken ( snails ( Gastropoda ) and mussels ( Bivalvia ) ) in Germany " from 2009 is considered the species as missing or extinct, the last evidence comes from 1967.