Description: A medium-sized, bluish-grey to brown or nearly black slug with same-colour or darker keel running from the mantle to the tail. No lateral bands or pale respiratory orifice. Sole whitish or brownish. Mucus colourless. As in other Milacidae the mantle is marked with a deep horseshoe-shaped groove. Widespread. 45-55 mm.

World Distribution: Found from the western Mediterranean north to the British Isles. Distribution type: Suboceanic Southern-temperate (82).

Irish Distribution: Widespread but possibly declined in central Ireland to judge by the number of unconfirmed older records. Most recent records are for coastal habitats. Has a tendency to disappear from established sites from time to time.

Ecology:

• The only species of the Milacidae which is likely to be native, though found in disturbed places and a sporadic pest in gardens
• The usual habitat is coastal grassland and rocks.
• Known as a pest on root crops such as potato

Key Identification Features:

• A medium-sized unspotted slug with conspicuous keel and deep groove on the mantle
• Colour bluish-grey to brown to dark grey without spotting and with a keel mostly of the same colour but sometimes darker
• Mucus sticky, colourless
• Keel runs from the rear of the mantle to the tail
• Mantle granulate and with a deep horseshoe-shaped groove

Red list status:

• Least concern (lc).

Distribution Map from NBN: Milax gagates at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Milax gagates at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Milax gagates | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Milacidae, Milax

Thumbnails for genus Milax