Bielzia
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Bielzia coerulans, commonly known as the Carpathian blue slug or simply the blue slug, is a species of very large land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs.
Taxonomy
Bielzia coerulans was discovered in 1847 and described under the name Limax coerulans by Austrian-Hungarian malacologist, Michael Bielz (1787-1866), in 1851. (His son Eduard Albert Bielz was also a malacologist.)
Bielzia coerulans is the only species in the genus Bielzia.[1]
Some authors, for example Russian malacologists,[2] classify genus Bielzia as the only genus (monotypic) within the separate family, Limacopsidae.[2][3] There is also a separate subfamily, Bielziinae, for genus Bielzia (I. M. Likharev & Wiktor, 1980).
According to the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), Limacopsidae and Bielziinae are synonyms for Limacinae.[4]
Distribution
This species is endemic to the Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe.
The type locality of Bielzia coerulans is South Carpathians in Romania.[2]
- Czech Republic - in Moravia only, vulnerable (VU) in Moravia[5][6]
- Southern Poland[1]
- Slovakia[7]
- Ukraine[2]
- Romania[2]
- Hungary[8]
- Germany (presumed introduction in Westerwald, Rhineland-Palatinate, discovered 2012)[9]
Description
This slug turns blue when an adult and becomes 100 – 140 mm in length.[10] It is evenly blue or bluish green (occasionally black) with a dark greyish head and tentacles, and margins pale yellowish, sole pale yellowish or whitish.[10]
Juveniles are yellowish brown with dark lateral bands.[10]
Reproductive system: Genitalia are without penis.[10] There is only an accessory organ for copulation.[10]
Ecology
Bielzia coerulans inhabits deciduous and coniferous forests in mountains, usually at the bottom, or under dead wood logs.[10]
Maturity is in June to July.[10] Copulation occurs at the soil.[10] There are 30-80 eggs laid in one clutch.[10] Adults die after egg deposition.[10] Half grown juveniles hibernate.[10] Fully grown slugs appear in May.[10]
References
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[10]
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- ↑ a b Template:In lang Wiktor A. (1989). Limacoidea et Zonitoidea nuda. Slimaki pomrowioksztaltne (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora). Fauna Poloniae 12, Polska Akademia Nauk, Warszawa, 208 pp., page 178-181.
- ↑ a b c d e Kantor Yu I., Vinarski M. V., Schileyko A. A. & Sysoev A. V.(published online on December 22, 2009). "Catalogue of the continental mollusks of Russia and adjacent territories". Version 2.3. Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Template:In lang Gerhardt U. (16 July 1935). "Weitere Untersuchungen zur Kopulation der Nacktschnecken". Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere 30(2): 297-332. Page 329.
- ↑ Template:Bouchet 2005
- ↑ Juřičková L., Horsák M. & Beran L. (2001). "Check-list of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic". Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 65: 25-40.
- ↑ "Red List of the molluscs (Mollusca) of the Czech Republic". accessed 9 September 2010.
- ↑ Lisický M. J. (1991). Mollusca Slovenska. Veda, Bratislava: 1-341.
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- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Species summary for Bielzia coerulans". AnimalBase, last modified 29 October 2009, accessed 9 September 2010.
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