A review of the Veronicellidae from Mexico (Gastropoda: Soleolifera)

Abstract

INFORMATION IS PRESENTED REGARDING THE SPECIES OF THE FAMILY VERONICELLIDAE IN MEXICO. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM SPECIMENS DEPOSITED IN THE COLECCIÓN NACIONAL DE MOLUSCOS (INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGÍA, UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTÓNOMA DE MEXICO), FROM FIELD TRIPS, AND FROM THE LITERATURE. THESE SLUGS ARE DISTRIBUTED MAINLY IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN REGIONS OF MEXICO, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A FEW RECORDS FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. FIVE SPECIES IN THREE GENERA HAVE BEEN RECORDED, NAMELY: LEIDYULA FLORIDANA, L. MORELETI, PHYLLOCAULIS GAYI, SARASINULA DUBIA AND S. PLEBEIA. THE OCCURRENCE OF LEIDYULA FLORIDANA AND PHYLLOCAULIS GAYI IN MEXICO NEEDS CONFIRMATION. THE LOS TUXTLAS REGION, SOUTHERN VERACRUZ, IS A HOTSPOT WHERE VERONICELLID SLUGS HAVE BECOME A PEST AND FARMERS HAVE STOPPED GROWING BEANS, SWITCHING TO OTHER CROPS AS A MEASURE TO CONTAIN THE PEST.