Laevicaulis alte

Laevicaulis alte, or the tropical leatherleaf, is a species of tropical land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Veronicellidae, the leatherleaf slugs.

Description

Laevicaulis alte is a round, dark-coloured slug with no shell, long. Its skin is slightly tuberculated. The central keel is beige in colour.
This slug has a unique, very narrow foot; juvenile specimens have a foot wide and adult specimens have a foot that is only wide.
The tentacles are small, long, and they are only rarely extended beyond the edge of the mantle.

Parasites

This slug is an intermediate host for Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, a round worm, the most common cause of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis.

Predators

Laevicaulis alte is eaten by the frog Rana tigrina.

Distribution

The species is probably indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa
It has been introduced and has become an invasive species in the following areas:

The species is already established in the USA, and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.

Habitat

Laevicaulis alte lives in dry areas, mostly at lower altitudes.

Life cycle

The slug hatches from eggs. Laevicaulis alte has several adaptations for living in dry conditions: a rounded shape with as small as possible surface area, and a narrow foot to reduce evaporation.
Juvenile specimens search for food nearly always at night, and stay buried in the soil during the day. Larger specimens are active during the day sometimes. The slug can grow up from to approximately in length in 7 months.