''Deroceras'' is a

taxonomic 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme of classes (a taxonomy) and the allocation ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of small to medium-sized air-breathing land

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less Terrestrial mollusc, 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 ...

s in the family

Agriolimacidae ''Agriolimacidae'' is a family of small and medium-sized land slugs, or shell-less snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks. Distribution Distribution of Limacidae is Holarctic, this include: Nearctic, western Palearctic and eastern P ...

Description

Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within and between species but common patterns are pale cream, with or without darker flecks (never stripes), and a more uniform light gray or brown to black-brown. Mucus is usually colourless but in some species includes a white deposit when the slug has been disturbed. No

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

continues from the tail along the back. The mantle is large (up to half the body length), containing a shell plate internally. The pneumostome lies in the posterior half of the mantle. Generally external appearance does not reliably distinguish one species from certain others, so species identification requires dissection to reveal the genitalia, unless the local species diversity is known to be low. The taxonomy, anatomy and other aspects of the biology of this genus were reviewed in 2000,Wiktor, A. (2000). Agriolimacidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata): a systematic monograph. ''Annales Zoologici'' 49: 347-590
abstract
/ref> and the diverse mating behaviors were reviewed in 2007.

Species

In 2000, in the most recent monograph on the genus, Wiktor rejected earlier attempts (including his own) at a subgeneric (''Agriolimax'' Mörch, 1865, ''Plathystimulus'' Wiktor, 1973) classification, because there appeared to be so many convergences and reversals. The only exception was that he split off ''Liolytopelte'' as a subgenus because of its distinctive hard plate within the penis; all other species were included in the subgenus ''Deroceras''. There are at least 123 species in the genus ''Deroceras''. Subgenus ''Deroceras'' Rafinesque, 1820 * '' Deroceras abessinicum'' * '' Deroceras adolphi'' * '' Deroceras afer'' * '' Deroceras agreste'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

) * '' Deroceras altaicum'' * ''

Deroceras altimirai ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * '' Deroceras astypalaeensis'' * ''

Deroceras bakurianum ''Deroceras bakurianum'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae. Its specific name is after its type locality, which is in Bakuriani. Distribution ...

'' * '' Deroceras barceum'' * ''

Deroceras berytensis ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras bisacchianum ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras bistimulatum ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras boeoticum ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras boettgeri ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras bulgaricum ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras cazioti ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras cecconii ''Deroceras cecconii'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. Although it was long considered a synonym (taxonomy), synonym of ''Deroceras panormitanu ...

'' * ''

Deroceras chevallieri ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * ''

Deroceras christae ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * '' Deroceras chrysorroyatissensis'' * '' Deroceras concrementosum'' * '' Deroceras cycladicum'' * '' Deroceras dallaii'' * '' Deroceras deckeni'' * '' Deroceras demirtensis'' * '' Deroceras dubium'' * '' Deroceras ercinae'' * '' Deroceras famagustensis'' * '' Deroceras fatrense'' * '' Deroceras gardullanum'' * '' Deroceras gavdosensis'' * '' Deroceras giustianum'' * '' Deroceras glandulosum'' * '' Deroceras golcheri'' * ''

Deroceras gorgonium ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within and ...

'' * '' Deroceras halieos'' * '' Deroceras helicoidale'' * '' Deroceras hesperium'' * '' Deroceras heterura'' * '' Deroceras ikaria'' * '' Deroceras ilium'' * '' Deroceras invadens'' * '' Deroceras johannae'' * '' Deroceras juranum'' * '' Deroceras karnaniensis'' * '' Deroceras kasium'' * ''

Deroceras keaense ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within and ...

'' * '' Deroceras kontanum'' * '' Deroceras korthionensis'' * '' Deroceras koschanum'' * '' Deroceras kythirensis'' * '' Deroceras laeve'' (O. F. Müller, 1774) * '' Deroceras lasithionensis'' * '' Deroceras levisarcobelum'' * '' Deroceras libanoticum'' * '' Deroceras limacoides'' * '' Deroceras lombricoides'' * '' Deroceras lothari'' * '' Deroceras maasseni'' * '' Deroceras malkini'' * '' Deroceras melinum'' * '' Deroceras minoicum'' * '' Deroceras neuteboomi'' * '' Deroceras nigroclypeatum'' * '' Deroceras nitidum'' * '' Deroceras nyphoni'' * '' Deroceras oertzeni'' * '' Deroceras orduensis'' * ''

Deroceras osseticum ''Deroceras'' is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies cons ...

'' * '' Deroceras padisii'' * '' Deroceras pageti'' * ''

Deroceras panormitanum ''Deroceras panormitanum'' is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Agriolimacidae. ''Deroceras panormitanum'' ''sensu stricto'' ("in the strict sense") is common on Sicily and Malta, but ...

'' (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882) * '' Deroceras parium'' * '' Deroceras parnasium'' * '' Deroceras planarioides'' * '' Deroceras ponsonbyi'' * '' Deroceras praecox'' * '' Deroceras pseudopanormitanum'' * '' Deroceras rethimnonensis'' * '' Deroceras reticulatum'' (O. F. Müller, 1774) * '' Deroceras rhodensis'' * '' Deroceras riedelianum'' * '' Deroceras roblesi'' * '' Deroceras rodnae'' * '' Deroceras samium'' * '' Deroceras seriphium'' * '' Deroceras sturanyi'' * '' Deroceras subagreste'' * '' Deroceras tarracense'' * '' Deroceras tauricum'' * '' Deroceras thersites'' * '' Deroceras turcicum'' * '' Deroceras uataderensis'' * '' Deroceras vascoana'' * '' Deroceras zilchi'' Subgenus ''Liolytopelte'' Simroth, 1901 * '' Deroceras bureschi'' * '' Deroceras caucasicum'' * '' Deroceras kandaharensis'' * '' Deroceras moldavicum'' * ''

Deroceras occidentalis ''Deroceras'' is a taxonomic genus of small to medium-sized air-breathing land slugs in the family Agriolimacidae. Description Most species reach only 30–35 mm in length (max 45 mm). Coloration varies considerably within an ...

'' * '' Deroceras trabzonensis''

Relevance to humans

Several species in this genus are recognised as

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, including '' Deroceras reticulatum'', '' Deroceras invadens'', '' Deroceras agreste'', and '' Deroceras laeve''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q293311 Agriolimacidae Gastropod genera Agricultural pest molluscs Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque