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| Limax pseudocinereoniger from Durmitor National Park, Montenegro. Schilthuizen, Thompson, de Vries, van Peursen, Reisinger, Paterno, Maestri, Marcolungo, Esposti, Delledonne & Njunjić, 2022 Photos by P. Escoubas. |
Abstract
Background: Despite their large size, striking colouration and genital extravagance, the taxonomy of the European giant keelback slugs of the genus Limax is still poorly understood. Preliminary morphological and molecular data suggest that many unnamed or unrecognised species exist, especially in the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Balkans.
New information: We organised a citizen science expedition to Durmitor National Park in Montenegro and discovered a new species, genetically distinct, but morphologically similar to the sympatric L. cinereoniger Wolf 1803 and describe it as Limax pseudocinereoniger.
Keywords: malacology, Limacidae, slugs, taxonomy, The Balkans, genitalia
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| Dorsal (top), lateral (centre) and ventral (bottom) views of a living (and subsequently preserved) paratype specimen of Limax pseudocinereoniger from Durmitor National Park, Montenegro (TxEx-DU0122). Photos by P. Escoubas. |
Limax pseudocinereoniger Schilthuizen, Thompson, de Vries, van Peursen, Reisinger, Paterno, Maestri, Marcolungo, Esposti, Delledonne & Njunjić, 2022, sp. n.
Suborder Stylommatophora A. Schmidt, 1855
Superfamily Limacoidea Lamarck, 1801
Family Limacidae Lamarck, 1801
Genus Limax Linnaeus, 1758
Type species: Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758
synonyms: Limax “pseudocinereoniger” Nitz (2013)
Etymology: The specific epithet pseudocinereoniger refers to its similarity with L. cinereoniger. This name was first applied as a "working name" by Nitz (2013) and is here adopted as the formal name. It is used as a masculine adjective.
The taxonomic authority for this species is attributed to all authors of this publication. In line with ICZN Recommendation 51C (Zoological Nomenclature 1999), the species may be referred to as Limax pseudocinereoniger Schilthuizen et al., 2022, provided the full citation of this publication appears in the bibliography or elsewhere in the referring work.
Menno Schilthuizen, Cameron Graham Thompson, Rick de Vries, Anthonie D. P. van Peursen, Marta Paterno, Simone Maestri, Luca Marcolongo, Chiara Degli Esposti, Massimo Delledonne and Iva Njunjić. 2022. A New Giant Keelback Slug of the Genus Limax from the Balkans, described by Citizen Scientists. Biodiversity Data Journal. 10: e69685. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e69685
