Ambigolimax
An active Ambigolimax slug in Fremont, California
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Limacidae
Genus: Ambigolimax
Pollonera, 1887[1]
Type species
Ambigolimax valentianus
(Férussac, 1821)

Ambigolimax is a genus of air-breathing land slugs in the family Limacidae, the keelback slugs.[2] There is still ongoing disagreement whether it is more appropriate to consider Ambigolimax as merely a subgenus of Lehmannia; the evidence for splitting them is phylogenetic trees constructed on the basis of DNA sequences.

Species

The species in the genus are:

b&w image
A. valentianus, drawn by Pollonera; from his original subgenus description[1]

These species are not reliably distinguishable on the basis of external characters, so identification requires either dissection to reveal the genitalia or DNA sequencing. All three are invasive in various parts of the world.[5]

In addition, Lehmannia melitensis is treated as a species of Ambigolimax by Hutchinson et al. (2022) based on similarity of DNA sequences.[5]

Previous usage of the name Ambigolimax nyctelius has now been shown to refer to several species that had been confused: A. parvipenis, A. waterstoni, and Lehmannia carpatica. Furthermore, the species name nyctelius actually refers to a species of Letourneuxia (family Arionidae).[5][8]

Taxonomic history

Ambigolimax was constructed by Pollonera in 1887[1] to encompass A. valentianus and what he called A. fulvus but is now understood to be Malacolimax tenellus.[9] He considered Ambigolimax as a subgenus of Agriolimax (now Deroceras) in the family Agriolimacidae. In 1926, Hesse transferred it to become a subgenus of Lehmannia in the family Limacidae.[10] Since about 2007 the increasing tendency has been to split Lehmannia s.l. into two genera, Lehmannia s.s. and Ambigolimax. This splitting was based on the genetic evidence that the position of Malacolimax in the phylogenetic tree makes Lehmannia s.l. a paraphyletic group.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pollonera, Carlo (1887). "Intorno ad alcuni Limacidi europei poco noti". Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino. 2 (21): 1–4, pl. 1.
  2. ↑ Marshall, B. (2015). Ambigolimax Pollonera, 1887. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=819989 on 2015-04-15
  3. ↑ Vendetti, J.E.; Burnett, E.; Carlton, L.; Curran, A.T.; Lee, C.; Matsumoto, R.; Mc Donnell, R.; Reich, I.; Willadsen, O. (11 July 2019). "The introduced terrestrial slugs Ambigolimax nyctelius (Bourguignat, 1861) and Ambigolimax valentianus (Férussac, 1821) (Gastropoda: Limacidae) in California, with a discussion of taxonomy, systematics, and discovery by citizen science". Journal of Natural History. 53 (25–26): 1607–1632. doi:10.1080/00222933.2018.1536230.
  4. ↑ "Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1821)". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hutchinson, J.M.C.; Reise, H.; Schlitt, B. (7 July 2022). "Will the real Limax nyctelius please step forward: Lehmannia, Ambigolimax, or Malacolimax? No, Letourneuxia!". Archiv für Molluskenkunde. 151 (1): 19–41. doi:10.1127/arch.moll/151/019-041.
  6. ↑ "Ambigolimax parvipenis Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ambigolimax waterstoni Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Ambigolimax nyctelius Hutchinson, Reise & Schlitt, 2022". Molluscabase. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Altena, C.O. van Regteren (1958). "Notes sur les limaces. 4. Qu'est-ce que Limax fulvus Normand?" (PDF). Basteria. 22 (1): 18–20.
  10. ↑ Hesse, P. (1926). "Die Nacktschnecken der palaearktischen Région". Abhandlungen des Archivs für Molluskenkunde. 2 (1): 1–152 + 2 pls.
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