The ( :) of Oklahoma and Kansas with New Records Author(s): Branley A. Branson Source: Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), Vol. 65, No. 2 (Summer, 1962), pp. 110-119 Published by: Kansas Academy of Science Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3626722 . Accessed: 17/09/2014 13:13

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This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:13:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Slugs (Gastropoda:Pulmonata) of Oklahoma and Kansas With New Records BRANLEY A. BRANSON

Less is knownconcerning the ecologyand taxonomyof the pul- monatescalled "slugs" in Kansas,Oklahoma and the westernOzarks in general,than of any of the otherterrestrial mollusks of this region. Leonard(1959) recordedonly threespecies from Kansas and Branson (1959a) ten fromOklahoma. However,there are severalother forms heretoforeunrecorded from either state. Furthermore,recent research has necessitatedchanges which need to be incorporatedinto the existing bodyof information. Fourfamilies of slugshave representatives in this area, only the first two of which are native: ,Limacidae, Arionidae and Veronicellidae.All of the Philomycidsand one limacid, laeve, naturallyoccur here; the othersare exotic. The Limacidaeare primarilyEuropean, Eurasian and NorthAfrican in distribution;arionids are Holartic,i. e., westernNorth America, Asia, Europeand Africa;and the Veronicellidaeare tropical(Burch, 1961). Includingone species reportedbelow, there are 13 exoticslugs known from the UnitedStates; fiveof themhave been foundin Kansas and Oklahoma.

AnnotatedList of the Slugs Knownfrom Kansas and Oklahoma FAMILY LIMACIDAE Limacidslugs are easilyrecognized by the oval mantlewhich covers only the anteriorpart of the back and which bears a pneumostome (breathingpore) situatedbehind a shortgroove, extending to the right margin,in its posteriorhalf. The foot is definitelytripartite, i. e., a lateralstrip along each side of the centralone. Five specieshave been recordedfrom this region. Limaxflavus Linnaeus This is an easilyrecognized species which attains lengths, in life,of 100 mmor more. The posteriorlyattenuated foot consists of a narrowly- elongatedand undividedcentral portion bounded on eitherside by strips bearingmany transverse grooves. The eyestalks are bluish-blackand in- versible.The oval mantle,covering a muchreduced shell, is blackishor darkgray marked by yellowish-white reticulations. The pneumostomeand its grooveare surroundedby a lighthalo. The back,middorsally keeled

Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, Vol. 65, No. 2, 1962 [110]

This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:13:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Slugs of Oklahomaand Kansas 111 nearits posterior end, is quitegranular, the granules being yellowish and the interspacesbetween them black or darkgray. The slimeis goldenor yellowand veryadhesive. An exoticfrom Europe. Limaxflavus is a verycommon species throughout Kansas and Okla- homa, especiallyin urban areas. In the westerncounties it is often foundin greenhousesand aroundthe bases of houseswhere moisture is abundant.It sometimesbecomes a pest in gardensbut prefersmolds and fungito green leafyplants. AlthoughLeonard (1959) did not reportthis species from Kansas the specimenhe illustratedis L. flavus. Limax maximusLinnaeus This speciesis similarto L. flavusbut attains a somewhatlarger size, up to 120 mmor morewhen fully extended. The lateralmargins of the foot are narrowerand the transversegrooves are indistinctto nearly lacking. The mantleis light yellowishor whiteprofusely marked by black spotsand blotches.The back is muchless granularthan that of the last speciesand characteristicallyhas black streakswhich sometimes fuseinto three or fourlongitudinal black stripes on a lightbackground. The slimeis clear. Anotherexotic from Europe. L. maximusis alwaysassociated with man's activities in thiscountry (Pilsbry,1948), especiallywith greenhouses and truckgardens. I have not seen this speciesin Oklahomaand only fromnortheastern Kansas. The commonlarge Limax in Kansas is L. flavus. Limaxvalentianus F&russac This attainssizes from 50 to 75 mmwhen extended. The foot is verysimilar to thatof L. flavusbut the mantleand back are tan or lightbrown, becoming lighter on the sides,with a darker,dorsolateral band on each side; thatof the mantleis not continuouswith the one on the body. The slime is clear and only moderatelyadhesive. Another exotic. L. valentianussometimes becomes a seriousgreenhouse pest. I have, however,collected it in the wild. Messrs.Benjamin Cooksey and James Campbellfound 14 specimensin watermeters on 11 April 1962 in Pittsburg,Kansas. Leonard (1959) did not recordthis species from Kansas, but it is commonin greenhousesand is widespreadin similar situationsin Oklahoma. This is the specieswhich has been for yearscalled L. marginatlus Miiller. However,Wald6n (1960) has pointedout the differences,pri- marilyconcerned with the soft anatomy and radularmorphology, between thesetwo species. It is probablethat all recordsmade in the United

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Statesfor L. marginatusare basedupon L. valentianus.All of thosefrom Oklahomaand Kansas definitelyare. One specimenwas depositedwith Walden, who is also of this opinion (personal communication3:III: 1962). The genusDeroceras is easilydistinguished from Limax by having onlyfour gut loops as comparedto six in the latter.The size is small; only 35.0 to 50.0 mm when fullyextended. Deroceraslaeve (Miiller) The foot is verynarrow and usuallynearly white. The head and tentaclesare bluish-blackto black. The mantleis uniformlyamber to nearlyblack, without spots or blotches;it is veryfaintly concentrically striate.The restof the back,which is acutelykeeled only at the very posteriorend, is aboutthe same color and bearsnumerous furrows and elongategranules. The hindgutlacks a diverticulumand the slime is clear and nonadhesive.This is the only limacidnative to the United Statesand has been commonsince Pleistocene times. Derocerasreticulatum (Miiller) This species,another exotic from Europe, is oftenconfused with the one last discussed.The footis also narrowbut is yellowishor dirty white. The head and tentaclesare blackish-gray.The mantleand back are usuallywhitish-amber or flesh colored, sometimes black, and are often markedwith flecks or dashesof dark. The mantleis ratherstrongly con- centricallystriated. The hindgutbears a well-developeddiverticulum and the slime is milky,when the is disturbed,or clear but always adhesive.It has notheretofore been recorded from Kansas but is common in greenhousesand on well-wateredlawns, hiding by day nearthe sides of sidewalks,etc.

FAMILY ARIONIDAE-Genus In thisregion the membersof thisfamily never have keeledbacks. The pneumostomeis in theanterior half of themantle and lies directlyin thegroove connecting it to themantle margin. The footis not tripartite and the jaw is stronglyribbed. Arioncircumscriptus Johnston In life this slug can extendto about 35 mm. The foot is nearly truncatebehind, pellucid white laterally and grayishcentrally; it is not tripartite.The tentaclesand head are nearlyblack. The elongate-oval mantleis slightlygranular and faintlyrusty-gray in color; it has a black stripeon each lateralfield, but these are notcontinuous with the ones on the back. The pneumostomeis a shortopening in the anteriorone-third

This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:13:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Slugs of Oklahomaand Kansas 113 of the rightside lyingdirectly in the shortgroove. The rest of the back is granular,grayish, with a faintsprinkling of red, and has a pair of longitudinalstripes. Another exotic from Europe. This species has not been reportedfrom Kansas but Branson (1959a) foundit in a greenhousein Kay Countyand Dundee and Dun- dee (1958) in ChoctawCounty, Oklahoma. Since it is nocturnaland secretive(Barnes and Weil, 1945) it shouldbe carefullysought in such places in Kansas. It sometimesbecomes a destructivepest. FAMILYPHILOMYCIDAE This family,our largestassemblage of nativeslugs, is easily rec- ognizedby the large,strongly convexly curved mantle which covers the entireback and whichlacks an internalshell. The footis undividedand thepneumostome is locatedin theright, anterior one-third of themantle. AlthoughWebb (1953, 1951, 1950) insiststhat Refinesque's genus Eumelusis distinct,it is consideredto be a synonymof (Hubricht,1952; Pilsbry,1948). Eumeluswetherbyi (W. G. Binney)is a . As now understood,then, there are two generaof phil- omycidsin the UnitedStates, Philomycus and Pallifera.There is a great deal of confusion,however, concerning the speciesof slugs found in the westernOzarks, especially since thereis considerableexternal simi- laritybetween the two genera. In Philomycusthe mantelcompletely covers the head, when it is retracted,and a row of roundishblack spots, on each side, usually delimitsa central,lighter gray area. The sides of the foot are clear yellowishor white. There is a unique, curvedcalcareous stimulating organ or "dart" (Pilsbry,1948) on the vagina. At least fivespecies have been confusedwith Philomycus. Pallifera,on the otherhand, althoughsuperficially like the last- namedgenus, has a mantlewhich does not completelycover the head, even in stronglyalcoholized specimens, so thatboth pairs of tentacles are exposedand sometimesthe head as well. The sides of the footare brownishto grayand the calcareousstimulating organ is lacking. Philomycuscarolinianus (Bosc) This is a largespecies which can extendto 100 mm or more. The foot,including its edges,is milkywhite. The mantleis laterallymuch reticulated,the reticulationsbecoming more concentratedon the upper sides. Abovethis the mantle is nearlyslate gray with white reticulations. A rowof dorsolateralblack spots is longitudinallyarranged on each side. The head and tentaclescan be completelywithdrawn under the mantle.

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This is theonly philomycid reported from Kansas by Leonard, where it is nearlyrestricted, as in Oklahoma,to the easterncounties. The form illustratedby Branson(1959b) as P. carolinianusis Palliferaragsdalei. P. carolinianusseems to preferlowland areas near streams. Palliferaragsdalei Webb This is anotherlarge slug whichattains lengths of over 100 mm when fullyextended. The face and upper head are white and the tentaclessmokey blue to black. The foot,except for the sides whichare reddishbrown for theirentire lengths, is dead white. The lowersides of themantle are grayishbrown with faint reticulations of the same but somewhatdarker color. A dorsolateral,rather indistinct, bilateral dark gray-brownband extendsnearly the whole lengthof the mantle.These bands are connectedacross the back by indistinct(distinct in immature specimens) cheveron-likemarks of the same color. The interspaces betweenthe cheverons are profuslymarked by lighter vermiform blotches. The groundcolor is lighttan to chamois.This specieslives in fissures of rockybluffs and underfallen trees, etc., in the uplands. Leonard(1959) did not reportthis formfrom Kansas, nor Bran- son (1959a) fromOklahoma. However,the speciesoccurs in all the easterncounties of bothstates. I foundit commonnear Galena, Cherokee Countyin Kansas. The slug is widespreadfrom North Carolinaand Marylandto Illinois,Kansas and Oklahoma. It also probablyoccurs in northeasternTexas. P. mutabilisHubricht is a synoymof thisspecies. This is the formwhich Pilsbry (1948) referredto as Philomycus caolinianusflexuolaris Rafinesque. However, Hubricht (1951a) has shownP. flexuolaristo be a distinctspecies, at leastin the easternUnited States. All of the materialfrom the westernOzarks referred to as this formare probablyPallifera ragsdalei. Webb (1950) describedthis form as a subspeciesof P. wetherbyi. Palliferamarmorea Pilsbry This is a fairlysmall slug, 18.0 to 25.0 mmwhen extended, which has themantle much marbled by grayish-brown that becomes more diffuse along the sides; thereis no tendencytoward band formation.The face and upperhead are whiteand thetentacles bluish black. The edgesand anteriorone-fifth of the rathersmooth foot are rustybrown. The anter- oventraledges of the body are also rustycolored, giving the foot,on cursoryobservation, the appearance of havinga doubleline. This species is oftenassociated with P. ragsdalei. Pilsbry(1948) describedthis form as a subspeciesof P. hemphilli (Binney) but thereseems to be no intergradationof characters.Con-

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sequently,it is herein elevated to species rank. Branson (1959a) found the form rather common in Muskogee County, Oklahoma and several specimens have been collected since then from Ottawa and Cherokee counties, Oklahoma. Two specimens are here reported from Galena, Cherokee County,Kansas. Palliferawetherbyi Binney [P. wetherbyiis verysimilar to P. ragsdaleiin externalanatomy and color pattern.It attainsextended lengths of well over 100 mm. The face and upper head are whiteand the tentaclesnearly black. The footis pale white (watery) withrusty edges. The mantlebears seven to ten wide, cheveron-like,brownish- gray markswhich are obscuredmiddorsally by a light region; thereare no laterallongitudinal bands. This speciesoccupies habitats in sandstoneand lime- stonerocks, often near streams. It has notbeen collected in Kansasand Oklahoma but probablyoccurs here.] Palliferafosteri Baker This is another small species (17.0 to 22.0 mm) which differs markedlyfrom the other slugs discussed above. The head and face are yellowish white and the tentacles bluish-gray. The foot is broad and transverselywrinkled; it is yellowish-whiteexcept for the anterior margin which is rusty brown. The mantle, falling well short of the retractedhead and tentacles,is very light tan and profuselyreticulated with dark brown or grayish-brown.The reticulationsare denser mid- dorsally and a lateral row of transversedashes is formed on each dor- solateral margin. This species is a flood plains form, being especially characteristic of the Austroriparianregion. Its distributionis spotted: four counties in Illinois, one in Missouri (Pilsbry, 1948), one in Michigan (Grimm, 1961), and one in Oklahoma (Wallen and Dunlap, 1954). I have also found the species abundantnear Evans, Louisiana. It has not been found in Kansas but may occur in the southeasternpart of the state.

FAMILY VERONICELLIDAE

Veronicellidsare peculiar slug-likepulmonate gastropods which have contractileannulated tentaclesrather than the inversibleones seen in the other mollusks discussed. The body is somewhat flattened above and mantle cavityand shell are completelylacking. The excretory,breathing and eliminationopenings are located behind the foot which partiallyor completelycovers them when retracted.The female gential opening is located on the side, usually about midway between the ends of the hypo notum (the angularlycurved lateral borders of the body). The foot is narrow and transverselyrugose. The head and tentacles are completely

This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:13:01 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 116 TransactionsKansas Academy of Science coveredby the notumthe upper covering). Two exoticgenera, with one specieseach, are knownfrom this region. Although neither of thesehas been reportedfrom Kansas, they should be soughtsince veronicellids are oftentransported in importedflowers and othergreenhouse materials. Veronicellakraussi (F6russac) This is a speciesfound in Cuba, PuertoRico, Jamiacaand other tropicalareas (Baker, 1925). The notumis tan to cinnamonbrown witha median,longitudinal light stripe. In myspecimens, from a green- housein OklahomaCity (Branson, 1959a) thenotum is muchreticulated with black and some specimenshave small, caudallyelongated, black dashes. The anus is a crecentricslit, covered by a small flap (partially by the foot), and extendsslightly to the right.As faras I knowthis is the onlylocality known for this species in the UnitedStates. Vaginulusoccidentalis (Guilding) V. occidentalisis, like the othermembers of the family,a tropical speciesfound in Guatemala,Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Antillesand some otherislands (Baker, 1925). It is a fairlylarge, species, capable of extendingto about 60.0 mm. The specimensherein reported are pre- servedin isopropanoland measure27.3 to 32.0 mm. Theywere collected by Mr. R. C. Harrelfrom a greenhouseon 3 October1961 in Guthrie, Logan County,Oklahoma. There is an obscuremedian light line and thegeneral ground color of thenotum is olivaceoussprinkled with small scatteredmelanophores. The femalegenital opening lies behind the middleof the righthyponotum. The anus is nearlycircular and almost median;it is completelycovered by the retractedfoot. This is the first recordfor this species in the UnitedStates. Thereare onlytwo speciesof veronicellidswhich are consideredto occurnatively in the United Statesand Mexico. Veronicellafloridana (Leidy), supposedlyderived from Cuba (Pilsbry,1948), is found in Florida and Vaginulusmoreleti (Crosse and Fischer) is the only one foundin Mexico (Baker, 1928).

Key to the Slugsof Oklahomaand Kansas la Mantlecovering the entireback or lacking ...... 2 b Mantlecovering only the anterior part of theback 8 2a Bodynearly round in section;mantle cavity and shellsac pres- ent; tentaclesinversible, not annulated;pneumostome in anteriorhalf of mantle.. 3 .....Philomycidae .... .

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b Bodylenticular in section,sides strongly angular; mantle cavity and shell sac lacking;tentacles retractile, annulated; pneumo- stomeat posteriorend of Veronicellidae -----7 body... 3a Mantle completelycovering withdrawn head and tentacles; sides of foot whiteor pale, no duskypigmentation; vagina bearsa curvedcalcareous stimulating organ (dart) Philomycuscarolinianus ...... -...... b Mantleincompletely covering withdrawn head and/or tentacles; sidesof footbrownish or grayish;calcareous stimulating organ lacking ------Pallifera 4------4 4a Mantlewith distinctto indistinctlongitudinal grayish-brown bandsconnected across back by diagonal,cheveron-like mark- ings; groundcolor light tan to chamois;large slugs Pallifera ragsdalei b Distinct...------.(continuous) longitudinal dorsolateral bands 5, lacking-..... 5a Sevento tenrather broad, brownish, cheveron-like marks across back and sides of mantle;no longitudinalbands; large slugs ------Pallifera wetherbyi b Cheveron-likemarkings lacking; small formsunder 50 mm in length6------6 6a Mantelmuch reticulated with grayish-brown; edges and anter- ior one-fifthof footrustry brown; small slugs 18 to 25 mmin length;head partiallycovered by mantle-.- Palliferamarmorea b Mantle markedby two or threelongitudinal tows of small, grayish,transverse dashes or dots; head and tentaclesnot coveredby mantle;small slugs 17 to 22 mmin length------P alliferafosteri ...... - 7a Anus a posteriorconcentric slit, only partially covered, extend- ing slightlyto rightof retractedfoot; color brownish, marked by manyblack reticulationsand/or elongate blotches; known only fromgreenhouses.....------Veronicella kraussi b Anus nearlymedian, completely covered by retractedfoot; color very light brown or olivaceouswith scatteredblack punctae;known only from greenhouses -.. Vaginulusoccidentalis Sa Pneumostome,in anteriorhalf of mantle,situated directly in ----- groovewhich continues it to mantlemargin-. Arion ------...... Arionidae-. circumscriptus.

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b Pneumostome,in posteriorhalf of mantle,situated behind the groove continuingit to mantle margin ------Limacidae-. 9 ..------...... 9a Intestinewith four loops; mantle and back not conspicuously marked by blotches and/or bands _-----. ------D eroceras....-----...... ------10 ..-----..------.. . . b . . Intestine with six loops; mantle and back with conspicuous blotches and/or bands.------Limax ------11

10a Mantle without spots or blotches, only faintlyconcentrically striated; back stronglygranulose; foot waterywhite; hindgut without a diverticulum;mucus (when disturbed) watery-.. ------.. Deroceras laeve ..------. .. b Mantle marked with inconspicuousspots or blotches,strongly concentricallystriate; back less granulose; foot yellowish or dirtywhite; hindgutwith a well-developeddiverticulum; mucus (when disturbed) milky and adhesive ..- Deroceras reticulatum

11a Mantle and back color black, gray or whitish marked with black or white blotchesand vermiformreticulations ------12

b Mantle and back brownish or tan marked along each dor- solateral margin by a dark brown longitudinalband Limax valentianus

12a Mantle and back color dark with light markings;slime golden or yellowish L imax flavus ...... b Mantle and back color light with dark markings; slime clear or slightlymilky kimax mavimus L.. .n. . LiteratureCited

BAKER, H. B. 1925. North American Veronicellidae. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 77:157-184. BAKER,H. B. 1928. North AmericanVeronicellidae. Naut., 42:43-47. BARNES, H. F. and J. W. WEIL. 1945. Slugs in gardens: their numbers,activ- ities and distribution.Part 2. J. Animal Ecol., 14:71-105. BRANSON, B. A. 1959a. Notes on Oklahoma slugs with additions to the previ- ously known fauna. Southwest.Nat., 4:143-147. BRANSON,B. A. 1959b. The Recent Gastropoda of Oklahoma. Part I, historical review,general commentsand higher taxonomiccategories. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci., 39:22-37. BURCH, J. B. 1961. Some snails and slugs of quarantine significanceto the United States. Sterkiana,2:13-52. DUNDEE, D. S. and H. A. DUNDEE. 1958. Extensions of known ranges of 4 mollusks. Naut., 72:51-53.

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GRIMM, F. W. 1961. Palliferafosteri, with P. megaphallica,new. Naut., 74:102-105. HUBRICHT,1. 1951a. The Limacidaeand Philomycidaeof PittsylvaniaCounty, Virginia.Naut., 65:20-21. HUBRICHT,L. 1951b. Threenew land snailsfrom eastern United States. Naut., 65:57-59. HUBRICHT,L. 1952. Rafinesque'sslugs. Naut., 66:46-47. LEONARD,A. B. 1959. Handbookof gastropodsin Kansas. Misc. Pub. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kans.,20:1-224. PILSBRY, H. A. 1948. Land of NorthAmerica (north of Mexico). Mongr.Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad.,3(II)2:i-xlviii; 521-1113. WALDEN, H. W. 1960. Omett par f6r sverigenya, AnthropochoraLand- mollusker,Limax valentianusFerussac och Derocerascaruanae (Pollo- nera),Jiimte Nagra andra, Kulturbundna arter. Meddelanden Gbteborgs Mus. Zool. Avdel.,113:1-48. WALLEN, I. E. and P. DUNLAP. 1954. Furtheradditions to the snail faunaof Oklahoma.Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci., 34:76-80. WEBB,G. R. 1953. Additionsto thepulmonate snails of Oklahoma(with notes on anatomicaltechniques). Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci., 34:81-84. WEBB,G. R. 1951. Notes on the sexologyof philomycidslugs of the genus EumelusRafinesque. J. Tenn.Acad. Sci., 26:73-78. WEBB, G. R. 1950. New and neglectedphilomycids and the genusEumelus Rafinesque(Mollusca, Gastropoda,Pulmoata). Trans. Amer.Micros. Soc., 69:54-63. -Department of Biological Science, Kansas State College of Pittsburg,Pittsburg

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