There are many types of terrestrial mollusks in nature. Some of them live everywhere - in forests, in damp meadows, near swamps, feeding on mushrooms and half-rotten vegetation. Others hide in shelters and hunt for earthworms. And still others live almost all year round in garden plots, where there is always food and shelter for them: from spring to autumn - in the garden and vegetable garden, in winter - in the cellar or vegetable storage.
From all misfortunes. How to deal with slugs
There are many types of terrestrial mollusks in nature. Some of them live everywhere - in forests, in damp meadows, near swamps, feeding on mushrooms and half-rotten vegetation. Others (called “cave robbers”), found mainly in the Caucasus, hide in shelters and hunt for earthworms. And still others live almost all year round in garden plots, where there is always food and shelter for them: from spring to autumn - in the garden and vegetable garden, in winter - in the cellar or vegetable storage. And these slugs “encroach” on the fruits of our labor: vegetables, root vegetables, berries and flowers. And therefore it is important for gardeners and gardeners to know how to deal with them..
Land mollusks include snails and naked slugs.. In our country, of the shellfish that can be considered harmful, perhaps only large grape snail (Helix pomatia) or small grape snail (Helix vulgaris). In the southern regions there are also drought-resistant snails of the genus Theba, living mainly on garden trees. With a sharp increase in numbers, these snails can cause serious damage to gardens. However, they are fairly easy to manage by collecting by hand or using simple traps such as sweet compote.
The main enemies of our gardeners are naked slugs. They slowly, as if caring for a plant, cover it with moisturizing mucus, tear off soft, succulent tissue, reducing the yield and worsening its quality.
The most numerous, widespread, voracious and mobile species - reticulated slug (Deroceras reticulatum). Its body is brown with a mesh pattern (white and dark spots), length is 2.5-3 cm. It severely damages vegetables and root crops; in cabbage, it damages not only the leaves, but even the heads of cabbage inside.
Very similar to him field slug (Deroceras agreste). Only the body of this slug is lighter (cream) and without a pattern. He prefers meadows, swampy places, ditches to beds. They rarely crawl into the garden - if the plot is low and weeds are raging in it.
Small in size (2.5 cm), dark in color (brown or black), cold-resistant and the most moisture-loving species - smooth slug (Deroceras laeve), it lives mainly in the middle zone and northern regions. It feeds mainly on winter bread. There is little harm caused by this slug in the garden.
Unlike him melon slug (Parmacella iberia), which lives in the south of the country, damages watermelons, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, as well as tomatoes and cabbage. It is very prolific, especially in wet years, and tolerates drought and heat by going into the soil and, as it were, falling asleep during bad weather.
Large individuals can be found in cellars and basements yellow slug (Limax flavus) up to 10 cm long. It feeds on vegetables, potatoes, root vegetables, garlic and onion bulbs, and flowers. There you can also find large European slug (Limax maximus). This large (up to 15 cm in length!), sedentary pest of household supplies is very attached to its “place of residence”, does not like change and can settle in your cellar for a long time if it is not cool enough. The large European slug is also found in greenhouses, especially winter ones.
Slugs can be called "night robbers", since they prefer to act unnoticed, in the dark. They come out of their hiding places to “robbery” at 21:00 and hide after 2:00 am. Therefore, when gardeners notice holes in the leaves and pits in the fruits, they often think that caterpillars have “worked” on them. Since slugs scrape their food using several thousand teeth located on their grater tongue, the damage they leave behind is easy to recognize. For example, in tomato and cucumber fruits, cabbage forks, and root vegetables, slugs make holes that expand deeper, and the leaves “make holes,” as a rule, in the middle, without affecting the large veins. The “tricks” of slugs are also easy to recognize by the silvery stripes of mucus and piles of stringy excrement left on the leaves and fruits.
Slugs begin their invasion of gardens in the spring.: young seedlings and germinating seeds are attacked by young mollusks hatched from eggs. Young animals, despite their small size, are surprisingly voracious and can absorb more food than their own weight. If you do not take protective measures, then after 2 months the pests are ready to reproduce and lay eggs. And by autumn, especially if the summer is wet, the next peak in the number of slugs is observed.
But the harm of shellfish is not only that they spoil the harvest of almost all vegetables, with the exception of hot peppers. On their viscous covers, slugs carry infection, and in the digestive tract they carry spores of phytopathogenic fungi, for example, gray mold pathogens, which pass completely intact through the intestines.
The fight against mollusks began a long time ago. Back in 1910, the future famous scientist N.I. Vavilov, while preparing his thesis, thoroughly studied the “habits” of naked slugs. Many of his recommendations are still valid today. Let's remember: some of them.
Do not create “cozy” conditions for slugs on your site, remove all crop residues that could become food for slugs (especially during their breeding season). In addition, under plant debris, slugs can more easily tolerate unfavorable conditions (drought, slight frost).
Don't forget about weeding. In thickets of weeds, especially near greenhouses and greenhouses, slugs tolerate heat and bright sun without significant losses.
Here are some modern measures to protect against slugs:.
To eradicate weeds, treat the area with a continuous herbicide (Hurricane Forte, Glyphos). In areas that are too damp or located in low relief, carry out reclamation: dig ditches along the perimeter of the area as wide and as deep as a spade, make drainage wells (turf holes 60 cm deep, 40 cm in diameter), fill them with a mixture of pebbles or crushed stone from coarse sand.
Vegetable beds fertilized with organic matter are ideal habitats for slugs. And in wet years, in a fertile area, nothing prevents slippery pests from being complete masters. To minimize crop damage, fence the beds with pieces of plastic or iron sheets, and build traps. Plant seedlings, especially cabbage, at an earlier date: stronger and rooted seedlings suffer less from slugs. Make rollers of soil 5 cm high around the plants: it is more convenient to pour water into the resulting “saucers”, apply fertilizers, and the moisture does not spread over the surface. After watering, loosen the soil around the plants and sprinkle with ash. You can fence the plants with rings cut from 5-liter plastic water bottles.
Avoid dense plantings of vegetable crops: the more space there is for cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, the less likely it is for air to stagnate and dampness to appear.
Take advantage of frogs and toads, who readily eat slugs. To attract “wahs” to the site, place low, up to 3-4 cm, containers with water between plantings or near the beds.
Metaldehyde has been used to kill snails and slugs all over the world for over 100 years.. It decomposes in the soil into carbon dioxide and water, is safe for earthworms and beneficial insects, and the blue color of the granules repels birds.
Based on this substance, products have been created specifically intended for amateur gardeners, for example, Groza. Its granules do not fall on the plants, but simply create a protective barrier against shellfish. Slugs, trying to “break through the defenses” and crawling through the Thunderstorm granules, burn the glands that secrete the mucus they need vitally. As a result, pests cannot move, feed on plants and quickly die.
It is better to carry out treatment at dusk, before the slugs begin to emerge from their hiding places.. In the spring, when pests are just beginning to become active, first place the drug granules in moist, shady places where slugs gather, hiding from the drought. Then scatter them around the plants or between the rows. The bait contained in the drug attracts mollusks, and they find it themselves. Therefore, I do not recommend placing granules in piles; it is better to distribute them evenly and little by little, this way you will be able to treat a larger area. The granules do not mold and remain active in humid weather. Even two weeks of rain will not harm them.
In the second half of summer (from late July to early August), the drug must be applied again to destroy the slugs before egg laying begins. This preventive treatment helps to significantly reduce the number of slugs in the next season, and thereby protects young seedlings in the spring. And one more piece of advice: to prevent young slugs from damaging lettuce or carrot seedlings, apply Groza at the same time as sowing.
The average person's idea of slugs is rather boring, but are slugs really that simple? The description of slugs will tell us about the appearance, lifestyle and habitats of the creatures.
When you hear the word “slug,” everyone immediately has negative emotions. Who do we imagine? A slimy, shapeless creature, disgusting to the touch, always crawling somewhere... but do we really think that nature is so stupid that it created a useless animal, good for nothing? Or do slugs have their own mission on our planet? Let's not argue, just let's study these creatures in more detail... According to scientific classification, slugs are representatives of the class of gastropods.
The peculiarity of these creatures is that, unlike snails, their shell is either completely absent or reduced.
There are several hundred different species of slugs on our planet today, but they all belong to one of three families: Soleolifera, Sigmurethra and Onchidiacea.
The body of slugs consists of one leg, also called the sole. It merges with the head of the mollusk. With the help of this organ, the animal feeds, moves, and reproduces. The upper side of the body is covered with a mantle, which is presented in the form of a plate. Below it are the anus and reproductive organs of the animal. In general, the body of slugs is symmetrical on both sides.
On the head of a banana slug there are two pairs of thin movable “horns”. As for the size of these creatures belonging to gastropods, they cannot be called large. The average size of slugs is only a few centimeters. However, representatives of these animals such as the blue-black slug, banana slug and large roadside slug can grow up to 30 centimeters!
The color of slugs can be varied: from inconspicuous, almost transparent tones to bright, rich shades. In nature, there are anthracite-black, bright yellow, orange-red, brown, and chestnut body colors of slugs.
The habitat of these animals covers vast territories. They live in humid and temperate climate zones. They are found in Australia and New Zealand, North America, Central and Western Europe, as well as in the Caucasus. Slugs love forests, fields, meadows, caves and gardens.
These animals are quite slow; they make their movements by contracting the legs and soles. And to avoid damage to this delicate organ, the slug secretes a special secretion that acts as a lubricant.
By the way, sometimes these secretions also serve as a deterrent “weapon” that helps prevent death in someone’s mouth: the secretion of some slugs has a very unpleasant odor, and this warns its natural enemies that there is no need to eat it!
Slugs feed mainly on plants. They eat foliage, soft stems, fruits and flowers. Some species diversify their diet with mushrooms. But there are also those who use living organisms as food: earthworms, small slugs, and sometimes even newborn mice and chicks!
Reproduction in slugs occurs once a year. All representatives of this group of animals are hermaphrodites. Each slug can lay up to 70 eggs. The development of embryos takes about 5 weeks, after which small slugs are born, which are already fully formed. The lifespan of slugs in nature is only 1–2 years.
The natural enemies of these gastropods are salamanders, ducks, storks, frogs, pigeons, raccoons, noses, chickens, waders, ...
Everyone who has ever had their own plot has encountered a slug. Its appearance is quite unpleasant, and many people treat this mollusk with contempt. They may have a reduced shell or without it and are terrestrial gastropods. They appear after rain and give gardeners cause for concern. Their size can be from 2 to 20 centimeters, and sometimes 30, like roadside slugs.
General information about the mollusk
The mollusk has an elongated, elongated body that can change its shape due to muscle contractions. Its body consists of three sections: head, legs and visceral mass. The legs and torso are separated by a circular groove. The head has tentacles on which the sensory organs are located. Behind the head there is a mantle with a pulmonary opening leading to the mantle cavity, which, in fact, performs the function of the lung.
They are always covered with mucus. This is a protective reaction against drying out. Coloring can be varied. They are found in gray, brown, yellow and even black. May be spotted. Some types of slugs are bred in aquariums and are considered pets.
Varieties of slugs
Slugs prefer damp places. If the soil is dry, they die or become buried in the ground. Very often they can be found in the forest or in the garden. An excellent place for them is thickets of bushes. They can also live in the far corners of parks, where there is a body of water nearby. They feed on leaves, mushrooms, berries and flowers. Some species feed on worms. They cannot live in hot places. These mollusks are not found in deserts.
How to get rid of moles in a summer cottage, garden, vegetable garden
There are many types of slugs. Many of them are pests. The most common are:
In nature, there are several hundred species of this mollusk.
Characteristics of representatives
Large roadside is the most common species in the garden. It is large in size. Sometimes it is called leopard print. Its color is gray-spotted.
The blue slug is often called the Carpathian slug. This is due to the fact that it is found only in the region of these mountains. It is large in size and brightly colored. Prefers coniferous and deciduous forests of Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Its diet includes russula, which is what gives the giant blue slug its amazing color. The accumulation of this species will be a tip to the mushroom picker. This means that there is a mushroom clearing nearby somewhere.
The naked slug is the most famous species in Russia. This annoying pest not only lives in the garden, but also loves greenhouses and greenhouses. Leaves large holes on fruits and leaves.
The black type of mollusk is the largest. Some individuals are up to 30 centimeters long. Mushrooms are what slugs of this species eat. He also loves root vegetables.
Another large representative is the banana slug. It is not found in banana plantations and will not look like a banana, but is a bright yellow color. It feeds on lichen, mushrooms and rotten leaves.
How to treat trees in autumn for winter: proper spraying
Small species include the field slug. Its dimensions do not exceed 5−6 centimeters. It lives in valleys and on the edges of forests. Young shoots and wild berries make up its diet. Comes in all shades of brown.
In moss thickets you can find whole groups of reticulated slugs. This species loves loose soil and rotten leaves. He is one of the smallest representatives. Its dimensions do not exceed 3 centimeters. Very often has a spotted color.
Enemies of shellfish
They have quite a lot of enemies. The sun is their main enemy, as they cannot tolerate high temperatures and die. They are loved by predators, such as wild boars. Some vertebrates feed on them. They are food for shrews, hedgehogs and moles. Rodents won't refuse them either.
Snakes, frogs and lizards often feast on slugs. There are a lot of their enemies among birds. Rooks, starlings, storks, gulls, jackdaws and many other birds prefer to feed on them. Among domestic animals, ducks and chickens should be noted, which do not refuse slugs.
Insects are also a threat to shellfish. They are included in the regular diet for ground beetles. Grasshoppers also feed on them. There are many who eat slugs in nature.
Diet and harm to the garden
Most varieties of this mollusk cause enormous harm not only to gardeners and gardeners, but also to the entire agriculture industry in general. They feed on more than 150 types of vegetables and fruits; they love not only root vegetables, but also foliage and shoots of plants. They give preference to potatoes, beans, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes and many other vegetables, fruits and berries. But they avoid garlic, onions, mustard and basil.
Diseases of indoor plants: types and treatment of house flowers
Very often, entire grape and citrus plantations are under threat of destruction from this pest. Rye and winter wheat are often affected by slugs. They feed not only on grains, but also on seedlings. They avoid buckwheat, flax and spring wheat.
This is a real disaster for gardeners, as they spread incredibly quickly in the garden. And all because:
- lay dozens of eggs;
- develop rapidly to reproduce;
- are hermaphrodites and do not need a partner.
Slugs are a source of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. For this reason, the entire crop often perishes. Crawling from one place to another, they spread the infection everywhere. They spread diseases such as:
- cabbage spot;
- potato late blight;
- downy mildew of beans.
There can be many reasons for the mass spread of a pest:
- not very cold winter;
- rainy summer;
- wet but warm autumn;
- early spring.
It's difficult to fight them. It is better to take preventive measures. If slugs appear, you must get rid of them immediately, otherwise the harvest cannot be saved.
Slugs are gastropods without shells.. The body has a roll-like shape and is conventionally divided into head, torso and leg. The leg is the lower, muscular part of the body, shaped like a flat sole. There are two pairs of tentacles on the head, with eyes at the end of the longer tentacles. The body is covered with soft, mucous skin; mucus is produced by the skin glands and serves to protect against drying out and the effects of various foreign substances, including chemicals.
In snails, the integument of the body produces a spirally twisted shell. At the top the shell is blindly closed, at the other end there is a hole - the mouth. The diameter of the shell whorls increases with the growth of the animal from the apex to the mouth. In case of danger, the animal completely retracts its body into the shell.
Structure and general information
The oral organs of slugs and snails of the gnawing type are represented by a horny jaw in the form of a bracket with a tongue covered with teeth - a “grater”. The tongue is a muscular roll, covered with a thin cuticle and bearing hard teeth arranged in transverse rows.
Hermaphroditic animals, internal and cross fertilization. They lay up to 400 eggs in groups in various natural shelters - under lumps of soil, at the base of plants, especially in places where weeds grow, under film, boards. The presence of weeds and debris on the site creates favorable conditions for their reproduction. Development is direct. Young slugs and snails are similar to adults, but are smaller in size. The animals are moisture-loving and reproduce in large numbers when there is excess moisture, so they are numerous in rainy summers. In hot, dry weather, adults burrow deep into the soil, and young individuals and eggs die. Crepuscular animals, feed late in the evening or at night; During the day they are found under lumps of soil and various shelters, but in cloudy weather they can be found on plants during the day. The eggs mainly overwinter under lumps of soil. In the spring, young individuals are born and reach sexual maturity within 2–3 months.
Types of slugs and snails
Slugs and snails are divided into three families. The largest representatives of slugs belong to the family Limacides, the length of the body in the straightened state is 40–200 mm. This family includes the fawn or arable slug, reticulated slug, agile slug, and large slug.
In the slug family Arionids body length in the straightened state is 20–70 mm. This includes the following representatives: bordered slug, brown slug, garden slug.
Family helicides or snails. The body of animals in the straightened state has a length of 60–80 mm, and is covered on top with a spirally twisted shell. The shape and color of the shell varies among different species. Before wintering, the outer opening of the shell (mouth) is closed with a lid consisting of two layers. The outer layer is calcareous, the inner layer is made of hardened mucus. The sink may also close when hot, dry weather sets in. This family includes the following representatives: grape snail, garden snail.
What do they eat?
Snails and slugs are polyphagous pests that damage all vegetable crops, but prefer cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, peppers, eggplant, radishes, and parsley. They eat seeds and sprouts, the growing point of young plants, grape leaves, dugout berries, and carrot roots, while eating irregularly shaped holes in the succulent plant tissues. They can damage various parts of ornamental plants, eat flowers of various plant species, and bulbs of gladiolus. The harmfulness increases sharply in rainy or cloudy weather. They are found in closed ground, where they penetrate due to poor insulation of premises or as a result of drift with containers or with the substrate. Various types of cultivated plants are also damaged there.
How to detect
Slugs and snails are detected as follows. On the leaves, in the process of feeding and moving, they leave characteristic traces of dried silver mucus, by which it is easy to distinguish the damage caused by them from damage caused by caterpillars or beetles.
Control measures
The main measure for exterminating slugs and snails is weed control and clearing the area of boards, boxes, old film and debris. These are the main places of accumulation and breeding of slugs.
In small areas, it is practiced to catch slugs under shelters that are placed on the soil surface. Large plant leaves, boards, opaque film, slate, etc. can serve as shelter. It is advisable to moisten the soil under the shelters. Once a day, the shelter must be raised and slugs collected from there, followed by their destruction.
In greenhouses and in individual areas, paths can be sprinkled with iron sulfate (10 g/mg), superphosphate (5–8 g/mg), and tobacco dust. If the number of slugs is high, you can pollinate the soil under the plants with superphosphate (30–40 g/mg), slaked lime (30 g/mg), a mixture of lime and tobacco (20–25 g/mg), sprinkle with a solution of potassium salt - 1 kg per 10 l of water, consumption rate 1 l per 1 mg. This should be done late in the evening, when the slugs crawl out of their shelters.
Among chemical agents, there is the drug Groza G (60 g/kg). Granules of the drug are scattered on the surface of the soil between rows and paths at a rate of 30 g per 10 mg.
Slugs are readily eaten by gray toads, which often settle in garden plots. They are sometimes mistaken for pests.
And since garden slugs are omnivores, most garden and vegetable crops can become spoiled. Of course, it is impossible to describe all known species of terrestrial slugs, since there are quite a lot of them. We collected the most famous and common. See photos of slugs with names in the material.
Types of slugs
Vegetable (garden)
They are also called naked slugs. They have an elongated body, which can change shape due to muscle contractions. The body is always moisturized with mucus, which is constantly secreted.
The color is inconspicuous - grayish, yellowish and light brown. There is a grater on the tongue- many small cloves of hard consistency arranged in rows.
At the leading edge there are tentacles with visual organs located on them. Small sizes - 25-30 mm.
This species can feed on a variety of fruits and vegetables, and is especially fond of tomatoes, strawberries, cabbage and strawberries. Distributed throughout Europe. Harms plants by eating leaves and stems, makes holes in fruits and vegetables. Thanks to its activity, the crop begins to rot and loses its marketable and decorative qualities.
Active in cloudy and rainy weather, at night and early in the morning. It hides from the sun in damp lowlands, under earthen lumps.
In constantly wet areas(groundwater is almost on the surface, river floodplains) increased fertility is observed. One adult is capable of producing a clutch of 300-400 eggs. They overwinter in the ground, the young come out in the spring.
Naked
Small (up to 70 mm in length) and the most frequent visitor to vegetable gardens. Absolutely omnivorous, can feed on almost any plant.
Scientists have found that the diet of a voracious slug includes more than 160 types of crops. Outwardly, it is completely inconspicuous; thanks to its color, it is difficult to detect.
The body may be brownish, gray or beige color with yellow and white shades. The mantle is weakly expressed, it is almost invisible on the body.
The body is abundantly lubricated with mucus, which is secreted more than in other species. His presence is not difficult to discover due to the large number of slimy paths it leaves.
This species can be found in almost any part of Europe. Which is not surprising - after all naked slug is quite fertile for this.
Big European
One of the largest pests of this family. Big slug boasts a length of up to 150 mm. The coloring is also quite unusual.
On top of the main background color (gray or brown, sometimes light brown) there are stripes and spots of different colors from light, almost white to coal black.
Look at the photo to see what big slugs are like. 
A European resident who doesn't like to move at all and change habitat.
Most often it settles in greenhouses and wet cellars and spends its entire life in them. Omnivorous and unpretentious, can eat any available vegetables, mushrooms and fruits of fruit trees.
Large roadside or leopard
The length of the body can grow up to 20 cm. One of the largest representatives of slugs. Body wrinkled, mostly round, only in the rear part it is pointed at the end.
The base color can vary from light gray to chestnut, and ash and yellowish slugs are common. Black spots and stripes are scattered throughout the body.
See the photo below for what a large roadside slug looks like.
It lives in Europe, which is its homeland, especially in the Central and Northwestern parts.
Its main feature is its mating method. Adults attach to trees or other suitable support with the help of thick strands of mucus and hang down. It looks like they are floating in the air.
Great spotted
A large representative of the family, which can reach 130 mm in length. It is distinguished by the presence of small black dots and specks covering the mantle.
In addition, it also has a longitudinal black stripe running across the entire surface. Body shape oval, rounded at the ends.
Distributed in southern Europe and Asia, as it is quite thermophilic. In colder areas it can live in greenhouses and other warm rooms.
Eats a variety of vegetables, but most of all loves mushrooms, especially champignons.
The damage is quite serious due to its large size and fairly long life span of 3-4 years.
Big black
The largest black slug in the whole world, which reaches 300 mm in length. The black slug has a black mantle, decorated at the edges with small light specks.
The sole has two colors - gray on the sides and black in the center. The color of the body can differ even within the same family and vary from monochromatic to decorated with a wide variety of patterns.
The black slug lives in Europe, most often found in Western and Central. In the Northern regions it can only live in greenhouses.
Black slug photo. 
It feeds mainly on mushrooms and will not refuse vegetables. In the absence of favorite food, lichen can eat. The large size of the body determines the great appetite and enormous damage caused by voracious giants.
There can be about 100 eggs in a clutch.
Ginger
It is medium in size, the usual length is about 100 mm, but sometimes grows up to 180 mm. Has a very bright body color- brick, less often yellow, brownish-green or black.
Lives in Western, Eastern and Central Europe, North America. In many countries it is listed in the Red Book.
In nature, it lives next to humans, settling in fields, gardens, and less commonly can be found in wooded areas, again close to human habitation.
Red roadside
Popularly also called Spanish and Lusitanian. Brought to Russia by accident, lives in warm regions of Europe.
Portugal and Spain are considered its homeland. Can reach 200 mm, but this is rare. The average length of adult slugs is 9-11 cm.
The color is solid, usually red, brick, orange. The mantle and body are colored the same. The horns are black. The body is completely covered with wrinkles.
It is omnivorous, eating fruits, berries, flowers, and vegetables from the garden. Loves mushrooms. Very prolific species. All adult slugs are hermaphrodites.
When mating, they mutually fertilize each other and lay eggs in 5-6 days, up to 400 eggs each. Unlike other varieties, egg laying occurs in spring and summer, young slugs “hatch” within a couple of weeks. They grow in 2 months to the status of a “sexually mature adult.”
Brassicas
Despite the relatively short length(3-4 cm), these slugs cause significant damage to all types of cabbage. They settle on heads of cabbage and begin to gnaw through many passages inside, not content with damaging the outer leaves.
The body and mantle are colored brown or brown with spots of a darker shade. The spots are not clearly defined and are located in random order. The sizes are varied. The horns and head are slightly darker.
They are found throughout Europe, excluding the northernmost regions. Eats mainly cabbage, but if there is a lack of favorite food, he can eat mushrooms, various vegetables and leaves.
Field
The mollusk is small in size, growing 3-4 cm in length. The color is dull and unnoticeable, varies from light gray to light chestnut color.
Usually plain on both the body and the mantle. Body shape is like a spindle- it is wide in the middle and narrowed towards the ends.
Lives throughout Europe. Lives on the edges of forests, in constantly wet lowlands and meadows. Often moves to gardens, cultivated fields and vegetable gardens.
Feeds on young shoots, foliage, fruits and vegetables. My favorite food is strawberries.
Smooth
A small mollusk growing 25 mm in length. The mantle is located on the upper half of the body. The color is always monochromatic, the color can be brown, reddish, black. Cylindrical shape, the ends are tapered.
Lives in Europe, including CIS countries. Settles in always wet meadows, near various bodies of water and in swamps. It is characterized by increased moisture-loving properties and is resistant to cold.
Feeds on various berries severely damages plants in greenhouses, in nature eats mushrooms and rotten plants.
Forest
A forest slug can grow up to 15 cm in length in its lifetime, and sexual maturity occurs already at a length of 3 cm. Young individuals are always colored chestnut, which most often changes.
The color of adult slugs is very diverse and varies from milky white to blue-black.
The habitat is very extensive and includes the British Isles, all of Northern Europe and the Pacific Northwest.
It is unpretentious in food, almost omnivorous. Can feed on live and half-rotten plants, any mushrooms, carrion.
In Ireland, Germany and Great Britain it is listed in the Red Book.
Banana
It is huge in size, slightly smaller than the black slug. The length of his body is about 250 mm. A striking distinctive feature is its color.
Most often it is bright yellow, but some individuals are white or green. Usually the color is monochromatic, sometimes dark specks are scattered on the back. The eyes are located on the upper horns, and the lower, shorter ones have olfactory receptors.
The banana slug is native to North America., they can be found along the Pacific coast, all the way to Alaska.
Its diet includes mushrooms, lichens and rotten grass, as well as feces of various animals. Depending on the prevailing food, the body can change color.
After fertilization, the clutch contains an average of 70-75 eggs. The dormant period occurs in winter when temperatures become high and the weather becomes dry.
At this time, slugs find a dark, damp place and hibernate. Mucus saves them from drying out, regularly released for protection.
Redtriangular
Another exotic visitor, this time from Eastern Australia. Its appearance is somewhat different from other slugs. It has 2 tentacles instead of the normal 4.
And in addition, it is decorated with a clear red or purple triangle on the mantle. The color of the body is very diverse, there are soft pink, milky white, dark or light cream, olive and red individuals.
The large size (up to 150 mm) allows you to get a good look at this beauty.
He always chooses moist, shady gardens and forests for living., wasteland. They often sneak into residential buildings, aiming for bathrooms where mold eats. In nature, it eats tree lichens, especially on eucalyptus trees.
Orange or brown
It has medium dimensions, growing by 80 mm. The body is colored orange, brown or dark red. The mantle is smooth and occupies a third of the body. The body itself is covered with folds and wrinkles.
Not afraid of the cold distributed in Europe, including the Northern part and Siberia in Russia. He chooses forest zones for living; deciduous, mixed, and purely coniferous forests are suitable for him.
Sometimes found in overgrown parks or in an old cemetery, where there are usually many trees.
It feeds at night, looking for rotten and dead roots, carrion, fallen leaves and any mushrooms. If your cottage or plot is located near a forest, the slug will definitely move in with you, actively causing damage to lettuce, cabbage and other vegetables.
Reticulate
A small mollusk that grows 2-3 cm at most. The coloring of the body is specific - on a beige background there is a pattern in the form of a grid, which is formed from crossed thin stripes of a dark color. The pattern is most pronounced on the back and mantle. The tentacles are usually black.
Found in Eastern Europe, including Russia and the CIS countries. Settles in open areas- garbage dumps, meadows, fields and vegetable gardens. Prefers clay soil. Doesn't live in forest areas, doesn't like lush bushes.
In addition, when there is a lot of rain, it attacks for winter crops.
Conclusion
Despite their harmfulness, gastropods are very popular in modern society. Horned slugs are kept in apartments as pets.
In addition, they appear in computer games (for example, the Royal Slug in Terriak) and as characters in books (the Horned Slug is used as an ingredient in magic potions).
Useful video!
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.