130 LIMACIDAE 



large quantities of mucus, which exhausts them and results in 

 their death. 



The specific name campestris, bestowed on this small slug 

 by the American conchologist William G. Binney in 1841, must 

 yield to the designation ffracile, given by the French naturalist 

 Rafinesque in 1820. 



DEROCERAS AGRESTE (Linnaeus) 



The slug Deroceras agreste is larger than Deroceras gracile, 

 attaining a length of 2 inches (5 cm.), although most specimens 

 are about 1% inches (4 cm.) in length. The body of agreste is 





thicker than that of its smaller relative, the mantle is more 

 prominent, the breathing pore is surrounded by a whitish border 

 and the rugose surface of the tubercles is edged with darker 

 lines. The color of agreste is variable. Some specimens are 

 a uniform gray; others are blackish, whitish, yellow, amber- 

 colored or brown, usually spotted or blotched with irregular 

 black markings. The foot is yellowish-white, and the copious 

 mucus is milky. 



The agreste slug is believed to have been introduced into 

 the United States from Europe, where it is common. It was 

 first noted in Boston, New York and Philadelphia in the early 

 part of the last century and was then confined to the cities of 

 the seacoast. It is now distributed over much of the eastern and 

 central parts of the United States. In Illinois it has been record- 

 ed from Champaign, Clark, Douglas, Kankakee, McDonough, 

 Mercer, Piatt, Stephenson and Vermilion counties, indicating 

 a rather wide distribution. This slug may do considerable dam- 

 age to garden vegetables if it is present in large numbers. It 

 may be controlled in the same manner as its smaller relative, 

 gracile. 



A European writer, R. F. Scharff, states that the large slug 

 Limax maximus is a less serious pest in the, garden than the 

 smaller slugs of the genus Deroceras, which appear to be 

 especially fond of green plants. 



