Description: A very slender medium-sized keeled slug, pale grayish-yellow in colour, sometimes with a bluish tinge and with a slightly darker head, back and keel. A soil species from south-east Europe, accidentally introduced to Ireland in the 1970s. 35-55 mm.

World Distribution: Originally south-east European but spread via human activities to most of western Europe within the last century.

Irish Distribution: Very local but increasingly widespread in disturbed sites. First recorded in Ireland in 1973 from Mount Stewart on the Co. Down coast (Anderson & Norris, 1974). Reported from Britain in the previous year and now very widespread there (Kerney, 1999). It appears to be commoner in the southern counties of Ireland than in the north.

Ecology:

• This distinctive, worm-like slug is predominantly soil-dwelling
• Most recorded sites are in rubbishy or waste places but there are records for rough pasture and woodland
• Usually seen only when deeply embedded stones are turned over

Key Identification Features:

• A very slender greyish or bluish-grey keeled slug with slightly darker head and back and translucent sides with yellowish internal organs showing through
• The keel is full length between the back of the mantle and the tail and is the same colour as the back
• Rear of the mantle comes to a broad point
• Mantle with a deep V-shaped groove, but also marked by 'finger-print' concentric grooves
• Sole pale, mucus colourless

Red list status:

• Not applicable

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

iNaturalist: Boettgerilla pallens at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Boettgerilla pallens | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Boettgerillidae, Boettgerilla

Thumbnails for genus Boettgerilla