Slug ID help

[sebastianbawn]

Hi all. Found all these near eachother in Bristol. I think most are Arion ater, but some help would be appreciated

[BrianCambs]

Hi Sebastian,

The tiny slug looks like Netted Slug Deroceras reticulatum - I think I can see whitish granules in the skin of the mantle.

You may be right about the others, depending on definitions. If they are Arion ater, they are form or subspecies, depending on personal taste, Arion ater rufus, often considered to be a separate species, Arion rufus. The other option is Arion lusitanicus, which is rather difficult to identify as an adult without dissecting the poor beast (or peeking inside one which has been trodden on). Juvenile lusitanicus often has well marked pale stripes on a darker brown background on the mantle - the brown beast with golden stripe down its side hints at the remnant of that feature.

Cheers
Brian

[sebastianbawn]

Thanks Brian. I know slugs are very hard to identify (in most cases) but the help is very much appreciated