Geomalacus malagensis
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Geomalacus malagensis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Arionidae, the round back slugs.
Distribution
Distribution of Geomalacus malagensis include southern Spain and Gibraltar.[1]
Description
This slug species is pale beige-greenish to beige-grey, sometimes also yellowish-orange, with blackish narrow lateral bands having clearly marked upper edges and blurry lower edges, running from posterior end to frontal section of mantle, above the pneumostome.[1] The shape of the slug is elongate, dorso-ventrally flattened (oval in transversal cut).[1] The head is very short (only 2–3 mm protruding from under the mantle).[1] Tentacles are brown and long.[1] Mantle length covers 35% of body.[1] There are 26 grooves between medial line of dorsum and pneumostome.[1] Sole is dirty cream, transparent (viscera visible in live slugs), medial section narrower than lateral sections and slightly concave.[1] Mucus is colourless and thin, also when irritated, sometimes with orange hue.[1] Mucus secreted onto the ground while crawling breaks into thin threads and coagulates into a unique spider-web like pattern, not seen in Arion species.[1]
The length of the body is up to 80 × 10.5 mm (preserved 58 × 11 mm).[1]
Ecology
Geomalacus malagensis is frequent on calcareous soil, in gardens, shrubland and open forests.[1]
It seems to feed on fruits and other soft parts of plants.[1]
Sexually mature slugs are found in spring and autumn.[1]
Captured slugs were found infected with nematodes.[1]
References
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[1]
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