Milax gagates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Greenhouse slug | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Milacidae |
| Genus: | Milax |
| Species: | M. gagates |
| Binomial name | |
| Milax gagates (Draparnaud, 1801)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Milax gagates, known by the common name greenhouse slug, is a species of air-breathing, keeled, land slug, a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc in the family Milacidae.[2]
The body of Milax gagates is an even dark grey to black, although it has somewhat lighter sides.[3] There are no pigment spots.[3] The mantle is relatively large (35-40% of body length), with distinct grooves.[3] The keel is prominent between mantle and posterior end.[3] Skin sculpture is weak. There are 16-17 grooves between keel and pneumostome.[3] The sole of the foot has blackish lateral zones and a lighter medial zone.[3]
Milax gagates is up to 50 mm long.[3] Preserved specimen have a length of 25–30 mm and a width of 6–8 mm.[3] The weight of adult slugs ranges from 990 mg to 3300 mg.[4]
Reproductive system: The penis is rounded, and half as long as the epiphallus.[3] The epiphallus is slightly widened and truncated (as if cut off) at its end.[3] the vas deferens is short (usually not longer than epiphallus), opens asymmetrically at the truncated end of the epiphallus.[3] The atrium is short, and not widened.[3] The accessory gland consist of several elongate glands and is connected to the atrium by some 20 short coiled tubular ducts.[3] The stimulator is narrow, conical, slightly flattened at its end with some papillae.[3]
The stimulator of the similar species Milax nigricans has more papillae situated at its base and not near its free end.[3]