Tandonia serbica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Milacidae
Genus: Tandonia
Species:
T. serbica
Binomial name
Tandonia serbica
(Wagner, 1931)
Synonyms

Milax (Milax) serbicus Wagner, 1931[2]

Tandonia serbica is a species of keeled slug in the family Milacidae.[1][3][4] It is endemic to the eastern Balkans.[1]

Distribution

This slug lives in Bulgaria, eastern Serbia, and eastern North Macedonia.[1] It has probably been introduced to Croatia[1] (Dubrovnik and other localities).[5]

Description

This slug is brownish or dirty cream in color with a blackish reticulate pattern on the mantle. Additional black spots are present on back and sides, diameter 1–2 mm, resembling ink-stains. The keel is pale; the mantle is darker than the rest; there are 13 indistinct grooves between the keel and the pneumostome. The head is blackish. the sole of the foot is a dirty cream in color. The mucus is colorless and transparent.[5]

The size of preserved specimens is up to 45 mm in length and 11 mm in width.[5]

Reproductive system: Penis rounded, far wider than epiphallus, epiphallus elongate with peaky end, vas deferens opening symmetrically, spermatheca spherical when empty, with a long tubular duct, vagina very short, accessory glands like adhering lobular formations surrounding vagina, atrium wide and like prolongation of penis.[5]

Tandonia serbica resembles Tandonia kusceri, with which it occurs often sympatrically, Tandonia serbica is smaller and Tandonia kusceri has no ink-stains. Vas deferens of Tandonia serbica is shorter, delimited from epiphallus, epiphallus shorter, penis larger.[5] Wiktor (1996) pointed out that no spermatophores have ever been observed in Tandonia kusceri, and brought up the hypothesis that Tandonia kusceri and Tandonia serbica could be dimorphic forms of the same species in different stages of sexual activity.[5]

Ecology

This species lives almost exclusively on dry slopes, most often in rock rubble sheltered by bushes, usually on limestone, in Bulgaria up to elevations of 1800 m.[5] Synantrope.[5]

Life cycle: very little is known about the biology of this species.[5] Spermathecas are present, at least in June and October.[5]

References

This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[5]

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dedov, I. (2017). "Tandonia serbica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T171234A1323222. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T171234A1323222.en. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Wagner H. (1931). "Die in die Unterfamilie Parmacellinae gehörenden Formen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien" (PDF). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. 46: 57–76. JSTOR 41768348.
  3. ↑ "Tandonia serbica (H. Wagner, 1931)". Fauna Europaea. Fauna Europaea Secretariat, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Tandonia serbica (H. Wagner, 1931)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Species summary for Tandonia serbica". AnimalBase, last modified 14 February 2009, accessed 26 August 2010.
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