Worm-eating slug for ID

[Gatekeeper]

Whilst doing a spot of gardening today, I came across a slug eating a worm. I've never seen this behaviour before, and the slug species is new to me as well. It is, I believe, a type of Shelled-slug, species which retain a shell fragment (this can clearly be seen in the pictures), and is carnivorous; the worm was very much alive. I've had a brief look on the Internet, and come up with the species Testacella baliotidea as a possibility. Could anybody tell me if this is correct?

[thunder]

Certainly one of the Testacella species, thought which of the three found in Britain it is I can't say (don't have the right books in front of me). Definitely worth reporting to your local biological records centre - these are under-recorded creatures. BTW it is haliotidea with an 'h' not a 'b'

henrya

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by thunder

Certainly one of the Testacella species, thought which of the three found in Britain it is I can't say (don't have the right books in front of me). Definitely worth reporting to your local biological records centre - these are under-recorded creatures. BTW it is haliotidea with an 'h' not a 'b'

henrya

Cheers, thanks henry, actually found 2 of them whilst digging

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Gatekeeper

Cheers, thanks henry, actually found 2 of them whilst digging

Gosh, you are fortunate!

henrya

[Gatekeeper]

I've just found an interesting piece about Shelled Slugs on the National Museum of Wales website:

Systematics and diversity of terrestrial molluscs | National Museum Wales

They have a few drawings of the species Testacella maugei which has the largest shell fragment of the 3 species, and is described as 'fingernail-like shell'; this is the first thing that I thought when I noticed the shell.

After checking another site:

How to identify Testacella species

I'm pretty confident that it's Testacella maugei.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Gatekeeper

I'm pretty confident that it's Testacella maugei.

I think I'd agree with that!

henrya