Morphological description of Laevicaulis stuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) (Pulmonata, Veronicellidae) from Egypt

Abstract

Terrestrial slugs and snails are increasingly becoming serious pests of agricultural, horticultural and ornamental plants in Egypt, resulting in major economic losses. This paper provides a detailed morphological and anatomical description of the veronicellid slug Laevicaulis stuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) that has been recently recorded from Egypt. This population from Egypt is compared with Laevicaulis populations recently reported and described from Libya as L. striatus (Simroth, 1896) and with available data in literature. Some notes and a distribution map of the veronicellids introduced in north-eastern Africa are provided.