Journal of Conchology (2009), Vol.40, No.1 103

AN EARLIER RECORD OF THE YSBRYDA ROWSON & SYMONDSON, FROM BRECON, UK

Recently Rowson & Symondson (2008) reported subsequently a preserved specimen collected in the occurrence of a population of Selenochlamys 1949 in West Germany, hitherto identified as a ysbryda from a garden in , South . juvenile Milax, proved to be this (Schmid, This carnivorous slug was previously undescribed 1966). In our case we casually supposed that the but congeners occur in the western Caucasus and specimen was a juvenile and albino Testacella adjacent parts of Turkey, so a recent introduction that had lost its shell. We attempted to rear it to into the UK seems most likely. Here we report maturity, but when it died two months later the collecting a specimen on 29th December 2004, gut and gonad had everted through the anus, almost three years earlier than the discovery discouraging us from further investigation. in Cardiff. The locality was the churchyard of The specimen is sexually mature and has Brecon Cathedral, Powys (51° 57′ 06″ N, 3° 23′ 33″ catalogue number p15967 in the Senckenberg W), about 55 km NNW of the original site. The Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz. slug was found by searching under wood and stones in an area of mown grass verging towards ROWSON B & SYMONDSON WOC 2008 sp. nov. from Wales, UK: a Testacella-like bare ground, with old gravestones and an ivy- slug new to Western Europe (: covered wall, and overshadowed by trees; the ). Journal of Conchology 39: site did not appear subject to much horticultural 537–552. activity. At the time we searched explicitly for DAVIES K 2006 http://petsnails.proboards3.com/ further specimens, but without success. index.cgi?board=identification&action=display& Since information about the “Ghost Slug” was thread=1071. Retrieved 16 Oct. 2008. WIKTOR A 1959 vermiformis n. sp. (, publicised, records have been received from sev- ) Communication of the Poznan´ Society of eral sites elsewhere in South Wales (B. Rowson, Friends of Science 4: 1–2. pers. com.). Our record currently remains the SCHMID G 1966 Weitere Funde von Boettgerilla vermi- earliest, although a specimen had been photo- formis. Mitteilungen der deutschen Malakozoologischen graphed in Caerphilly, South Wales, in October Gesellschaft 1: 131–136. 2006, also prior to the Cardiff discovery (Davies, Heike Reise & John MC Hutchinson 2006). There is a parallel with the discovery of Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz another alien slug in Europe, Boettgerilla pal- PF 300154 lens Simroth, also thought to originate in the 02806 Görlitz Caucasus. Although the original publication of Germany its occurrence in Europe was based on Polish material first collected in 1956 (Wiktor, 1959), Contact author: [email protected]