Revista Mexica na de Biodiversid ad 7 8: 41 - 50, 2007 A review of the Veronicellidae from Mexico (Gastropoda: Soleolifera) Revisión de los Veronicellidae de México (Gastropoda: Soleolifera) Edna Naranjo-Garcíal*, José Willibaldo Thomé2 y José Castillejo3 lDepartamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Apartado postal 70-153.04510 México, D. E, México. 2Facultade de Biociéncias - PUCRS. Av. Ipirango, 6681 - Prediol2-D. 90.619.900 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 3Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Santiago, I 5706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. * C orrespondent ; naranj o @,s erv idorunam. mx Resumen. Se sintetiza la información conocida de los Veronicellidae de México. Los datos provienen de ejemplares depositados en la Colección Nacional de Moluscos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, de salidas complementarias de trabajo al campo y recopilación de la literatura. Estas babosas se distribuyen principalmente en el centro y sur de México, aunque existen algunos registros en el norle del país. Se han registrado 3 géneros y 5 especies; Leidyula floridana, L. moreleti, Phyllocaulís gayi, Sarasinula dubia, y S. plebeia. Los registros en México de L. floridana y P. gayi deben confitmarse. En la región de Los Tuxtlas, al sur del estado de Yeracruz, se localizó un foco donde las babosas Veronicellidae son plaga, los agricultores dejaron de sembrar frijol y cambiaron a otros cultivos para evitar la plaga. Palabras clave: babosas terrestres, distribución, nativas, introducidas, plaga. Abstract. Information is presented regarding the species of the Family Veronicellidae in Mexico. Data were gathered from specimens deposited in the Colección Nacional de Moluscos (Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México),fromfieldtrips,andfromtheliterature.TheseslugsaredistributedmainlyinthecentralandsouthernregionsofMexico, althoughthere are afewrecords fromthenorthempart ofthe country. Five species inthree generahavebeenrecorded, namely: Leidyulafloridana,L. moreleti, Phyllocaulis gayi, Sarasinula dubiaandS. plebeia.Theoccu:rence ofZ eidyulafioridana and Phyllocaulis gayl in Mexico needs confitmation. The Los Tuxtlas region, southem Veracruz, is a hotspot where veronicellid slugs have become a pest and farmers have stopped growing beans, switching to other crops as a measure to contain the pest. Key words: slugs, terrestrial, distribution, native, introduced, pest. Introduction 1868) for the first time as a pest on bean crops in Chiapas, Yeracruz and Yucatán. Thomé (1989) in his checklist of A review of the literature shows that there are few the Veronicellidae from the Antilles, Central and North records of the Veronicellidae from Mexico. The earliest America, confirmed the record of S. plebeia in Mexico records are found in general reporls such as those by and added Sarasinula dubia (Semper, 1885). Contreras- Fischer and Crosse (1870-1878) and von Martens (1890- Arquieta, in 1995 recorded Leidyula floridana (Leidy it l90l). Leidyula moreleti (Fischer, 1871) was the first Binney, 1851) from the state of Nuevo León. species of Veronicellidae recorded from Mexico (Fischer The aim of this study is to bring together all the and Crosse, 1870-1878; von Martens, 1890-1901; Baker, information available on the family Veronicellidae in 1925; Bequaerl and Clench,1936; Thompson, 1967). Mexico. In 1925, Hoffman recorded a second member of the Veronicellidae in Mexico, Phyllocaulis gayi (Fischeq 1871). Much later, Andrews and Dundee (1987) Material and methods mentioned the presence of Sarasinula plebeia (Fischer, The literature was studied as well as the Colección Nacional de Moluscos of the Instituto de Biología, Recibido: 24 octubre 2005; aceptado: 22 noviembre 2006 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico 42 Naranjo-García et al. - Review of Veronicellidae City, and the material from Chiapas in the Invertebrate Taxonomic summary Zoology Collection at the California Academy of Science. Type. Holotype NMNH I 80860 (alcohol preserved), The vicinities of Los Tuxtlas, Yeracr:ttz; MazatIán city, Robert Hershler, Curator of Mollusks (pers. comm. 2006). Sinaloa and the outskirts of Mérida, Yucatán, were visited Type locality. Punta Rassa, Florida, in search of slugs to add further information (Table l). United States of America (Pilsbry 1948:1063); however, according Abbreviations used in the text are; CASIZ: California with Thomé (1989) the type Academy of Science Invertebrate Zoology Collection. locality is Meta-lee-chee-Key, Charlotte Harbor, Florida, United States ofAmerica. Califomia, NMNH: National Museum ofNatural History Distribution. Chiapas: at Río Coatancito, Tapachula, Smithsonian Institution, United States of America. EAp: 16 July 1990. Nuevo León State: Río Hualahuises, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, Zamorano, Honduras. at junction with Río Camiono, Hualahuises, 10 July 2003; MCN- Museu de Ciéncias Naturais da Fundacáo Río Pilób, Presa Los Magueyes, 118 Cd. Zoobotánica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre,-RS, Km Victoria- Linares, 10 November,l99I Ceno de la Silla, Guadalupe, Brazll. SMF : Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt and April, 1991; Presa La Boca, Santiago, 15 August 1988, 12 ZMB - Zoologisches Museum Berlin, Germany. CNMO: June 1981 and Las Adjuntas, Santiago, 1990. Colección Nacional de Moluscos, Instituto de Biologia, Yeracruz State: Tlapacoyan, 8 February 1988 and Poza Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México. Rica, 1990 (Contreras-Arquieta, 2003, pers. comm.) (Table Slugs were collected under rocks, fallen tree trunks, l). E co I o gíc al no t es. Leidyul a has not been reporled leaf litter and other shaded, damp habitats. Flashlights were fioridana as a pest in Nuevo León (Contreras, used at night. As soon as slugs were caught, photographs 1995 and 2003, pers. comm.); however, it is a known pest on potatoes were taken in situ to obtain the best record of body color in Cuba and on beans and tomatoes in other places (Andrews and and natural appearance. In order to relax them, they were Dundee, 1987). placed in large containers, filled with boiled cold water and a small amount of tobacco. The container was then tightly Remarks closed and placed in a cool place for two to fbur hours, then in the refrigerator at 4oC for two to several days, until Leidyula floridana was found at various places in the the slugs showed no reaction to mechanical stimuli. They state of Nuevo León by Contreras-Arquieta (1995,2003, were then transferred to and preserved in l0%o alcohol pers. comm.) (Table 1), but he did not comment on special (neutralized with borax). features of the species. Particular importance should be Study of the reproductive anatomy is required for given to Contreras-Arquieta's records of L. floridana in species identification, especially the following organs: Tlapacoyan, Yeracruz and Tapachula, Chiapas, since these pedal gland, penial gland, penis, spermatheca and prostate places are far from Nuevo León. Tlapacoyan is located gland. Dissections were made in wax - bottomed dissecting around the central part of Yeracruz state and Tapachula dishes using ophthalmological scissors and entomology in the southern part of Chiapas (this last site lies over needles. 2000 km from Nuevo León). Such records need identity confirmation since Leidyula floridana has been cited as a recent record from Nicaragua and also as a pest (Andrews Results and Dundee, 1 987). Leidyulafloridana could be considered as native due Leifiiulafloridana (Leidy & Binney in Binney, 1851) to the fact that great tracts of the country have not been Vaginulus floridanus Leidy& Binney in Binney, 1 85 1 collected, and it was only in the past few decades that the Binney, A. 1851. The Terrestrial Air-breathing Mollusks species was recorded. An alternative scenario is that the of the United States and the adjacent territories of North species was introduced (distribution data collected from America. Volume I. A.A. Gould (ed.). Charles C. Little various museums by Thomé et al. -1997- recorded the and James C. Brown, Boston, MA. 366 pp. (198, 251, pl. slug from Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, USA; Cuba and IV). Dominica, with the collection dates varying from 1899 to t919). Vaginulus floridanus Leidy, I 85 1 (Binney, 1 85 1 ) Vaginulus floridanus Binney, 1 85 I (Binney, I 885) Leidyula moreleti (Fischer, 1871) Veronic el I a fi or idana (Binney, I 85 1 ) (Binney, I 8 35) Vaginula moreleti Fischer, 1871 Lei$;ula floridana (Leidy & Binney in Binney, 1851) Fischer, P. 1871. Révision des espéces du génére Vaginula (Thomé eI a1.,1997) Férussac. Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Historie Naturelle. Paris. vol. 7:147-115. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 78: 41- 50, 2007 43 Table 1. Species ofVeronicellidae found in Mexico according to records from the literature and personal communication. State Localitv Lf Lm Pg Authority Campeche Isla del Carmen 18o 50'N. 91" X Fischer and Crosse, 1870-1878; Martens, 20'w 1 890-1 901 ; Baker, 7925; Thompson, I 967, Thomé et a1.,1991 Not given X Thomé et al., 1997 Chiapas Palenque X Fischer and Crosse, 1870-1878; Martens, I 890-1901 ; Baker, 7925; Thomé, 1971 Río Coatancito, Tapachula Contreras-Arquieta, 2003, pers. comm. Nayarit Tepic X BakeL 7925 Nuevo León Río Hualahuises, at junction X Contreras-Arquieta 2003, pers. comm. with Río Camiono Río Pilób, Presa Los Magueyes, X Contreras-Arquieta, 2003, pers. comm. Km 118 Cd. Victoria-Linares Cerro de la Silla, Guadalupe X Contreras-Arquieta, 2003, pers. comm. Presa La Boca,