common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
the leatherleaf slugs, are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
pulmonate
Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
slug
Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...
s.
The herbivorous molluscs occur mainly in the tropical and subtropical areas of America, Asia and Africa.
They act as intermediate hosts of the rat lung worm ''
Angiostrongylus costaricensis
''Angiostrongylus costaricensis'' is a species of parasitic nematode and is the causative agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in humans. It occurs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Hosts
Rodents are the normal definitive hosts, especially ...
'', and act as a vector for other human diseases. They also cause significant damage to crops.
Description
The dorsal surface of these slugs is entirely covered by the mantle or hyponota. These
mollusk
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...
s have a posterior located
anus
The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...
, eyes on contractile (not retractile) tentacles, and no lung or pulmonary organ. In these aspects they are anatomically distinct from most other types of terrestrial slugs, which typically belong to the order
Stylommatophora
Stylommatophora is an orderPhilippe Bouchet, Jean-Pierre Rocroi, Bernhard Hausdorf, Andrzej Kaim, Yasunori Kano, Alexander Nützel, Pavel Parkhaev, Michael Schrödl and Ellen E. Strong. 2017. Revised Classification, Nomenclator and Typification ...
, and which have a forward located anus, and retractile tentacles.
The closely related members of the family
Onchidiidae
Onchidiidae are a family of small, air-breathing sea (and land) slugs. They are shell-less marine (except for 2 species)preview pulmonate gastropod molluscs. Onchidiidae is the only family within the superfamily Onchidioidea.
These animals are ...
differ from the Veronicellidae by having a pulmonary sac, or lung.
Distribution
Members of the family can be found in the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
,
Kenya
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, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, the
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, tropical
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, southern
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, southern
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, the Highland
Rainforest
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
s of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, Aguayo C. G. (1965). "Sobre el status de ''Veronicella portoricensis'' (Mollusca Pulmonata)". ''
Caribbean Journal of Science
The ''Caribbean Journal of Science'' is a triannual peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal publishing articles, research notes, and book reviews related to science in the Caribbean, with an emphasis on botany, zoology, ecology, conservation b ...
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
Dominica
Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
,Robinson D. G., Hovestadt A., Fields A. & Breure A. S. H. (July 2009). "The land Mollusca of Dominica (Lesser Antilles), with notes on some enigmatic or rare species". ''
Zoologische Mededelingen
''Zoologische Mededelingen'' was a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal publishing papers and monographs on animal systematics. The publisher was the National Museum of Natural History Naturalis in the Netherlands. The first issue appeared ...
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, the islands of the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
and
Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
.
Life cycle
Some species of veronicellid bear live young.
Genera
This family has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
Genera within the family Veronicellidae include:
* '' Angustipes'' Colosi, 1922
* '' Belocaulus'' Hoffmann, 1925
* '' Colosius'' Thomé, 1975Thomé J. W., dos Santos P. H. & Pedott L. (1997). "Annotated list of Veronicellidae from the collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the National Museum of Natural History". ''
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington
In academia and librarianship, conference proceedings is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the conferen ...
Diplosolenodes
''Diplosolenodes'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial animal, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species within the genus ''Diplosolenodes'' include:
* ''Diplos ...
'' Thome, 1976 Pérez A. M., Sotelo M., Arana I. & López A. (2008). "Diversidad de moluscos gasterópodos terrestres en la región del Pacífico de Nicaragua y sus preferencias de hábitat". ''
Rev. Biol. Trop.
The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...
Latipes
''Latipes'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species within the genus ''Latipes'' include:
* ''Latipes pterocaulis
''Latipes'' i ...
''
* ''
Leidyula
''Leidyula'' is a genus of slugs in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species include:Naranjo-García E., Thomé J. W. & Castillejo J. (2007). "A review of the Veronicellidae from Mexico (Gastropoda: Soleolifera). Revisión de los Veronicellidae de México (Gastropoda: Soleolifera)". '' Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad'' 78: 41-50."
* '' Phyllocaulis'' Colosi, 1922
* ''
Potamojanuarius
''Potamojanuarius'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae
The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terrestrial ...
'' Thomé, 1975
* ''
Sarasinula
''Sarasinula'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species in the genus ''Sarasinula'' include:
* '' Sarasinula dubia'' (Semper, 1885)Naranjo-García, E., et al. (2007)A review of ...
Simrothula
''Simrothula'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species within the genus ''Simrothula'' include:
* ''Simrothula paraensis
''Simrot ...
'' Thomé, 1975
** ''
Simrothula paraensis
''Simrothula paraensis'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae
The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terres ...
'' Gomes, Picanco, Mendes & Thome, 2006
* ''
Vaginula
''Vaginula'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Distribution
These land slugs occur in:
* Cuba
* Seychelles (e.g. in Vallée De Mai on Lodoic ...
'' Fischer, 1871
** ''
Vaginula rodericensis
''Vaginula rodericensis'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, terrestrial animal, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
References
Veronicellidae
{{Veronicellidae-stub ...
'' Smith, 1876WoRMS (2009). ''Vaginula rodericensis'' Smith, 1876. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=214679 on 2010-03-31
* ''
Vaginulus
''Vaginulus'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, shell-less terrestrial animal, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.
Species
Species in the genus ''Vaginulus'' include:
* ''Vaginul ...
de Blainville
Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville (; 12 September 1777 – 1 May 1850) was a French zoologist and anatomist.
Life
Blainville was born at Arques, near Dieppe. As a young man he went to Paris to study art, but ultimately devoted himself to natur ...
, 1817 - the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...