Description: An earthworm predator! Like others of the genus, this has a broad body strongly narrowed towards the head end when crawling and with a small shell perched on the mantle which is at the rear end. There are two strong grooves running from the mantle along the back towards the head. Mid to dark brown with paler sides, flecked darker above. Colour can vary and grey, reddish and black varieties are known. Foot fringe pinkish or orange. Shell large. Very rare but probably under-recorded. 60-100 mm.

World Distribution: Distributed along Atlantic coasts from the British Isles to Morocco. Distribution type: Oceanic Southern-temperate (81).

Irish Distribution: Found in half a dozen sites scattered in the south-eastern part of Ireland but had not been seen since the nineteen-thirties (Kerney, 1999) when Richard Preece collected a specimen near Lismore, Co. Waterford in August 2004. Still widespread in south-west Britain but its range has much contracted in recent years. Probably under-recorded in both Britain and Ireland.

Ecology:

• Like the other species of Testacella, this is an earthworm predator living in deep, friable loams where it hunts its prey
• Mostly recorded from old kitchen gardens and the vicinity of dwellings

Key Identification Features:

• A large brownish carnivorous slug with a small external shell perched near the tail
• Colour mid to dark brown with paler sides, flecked darker above
• Foot fringe pinkish or orange
• Shell relatively large and ear-shaped with a hooked apex

Red list status:

• Vulnerable (VU).

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

iNaturalist: Testacella maugei at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Testacella maugei | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Testacellidae, Testacella

Thumbnails for genus Testacella