Published June 20, 2022 | Version v1
Journal article Open

A new giant keelback slug of the genus Limax from the Balkans, described by citizen scientists

  • 1. Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands|Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands
  • 2. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
  • 3. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • 4. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands
  • 5. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|University of Verona, Verona, Italy|Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
  • 6. University of Verona, Verona, Italy|Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands
  • 7. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  • 8. Taxon Expeditions B.V., Leiden, Netherlands|MNHN, Paris, France|Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands

Description

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.

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 L. pseudocinereoniger.

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