First records of introduced slugs of the genus Limacus (Gastropoda: Limacidae) in the Lviv region and their present distribution in Ukraine

Abstract

The first findings of Limacus flavus in the Lviv region, Western Ukraine, are described. One specimen was shown with an atypical body colouration, without yellow mucus covering it, with a monochromatic back and an almost complete absence of a reticulate pattern on the mantle, assigned to the genus Limacus only after dissection. An analysis of our own and literature data, as well as observations from two citizen science databases, showed that both Limacus species rapidly expand their ranges in Ukraine due to anthropochory. Limacus maculatus is more common outdoors, while L. flavus is more common in basements and other enclosed rooms. Most Limacus records have been made in Crimea, which is part of the natural range of L. maculatus, and in the Kyiv region, where both species were introduced. In Western Ukraine, only L. flavus has been reliably registered so far, a few anatomically verified findings were made at the beginning of the 21st century in Lviv, Rivne and Khmelnytskyi regions.