Testacella is genus of small to medium-large, predatory, air-breathing, land slugs.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Testacella Lamarck, 1801. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=818595 on 2022-09-13 It is the only genus in the family Testacellidae. They are not often seen because they live underground.
Distribution Species within this genus of slugs live in north Africa, southern and western Europe, and Britain."Family summary for Testacellidae". AnimalBase, last modified 8 August 2010, accessed 28 June 2011.
Species Species within the genus Testacella include: Subgenus Testacella Draparnaud, 1801 Subgenus Testacelloides A. J. Wagner, 1914Wagner A. J. (1914). Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien 51: 335."Testacelloides A.J. Wagner, 1914". Fauna Europaea, last update 27 January 2011, accessed 28 June 2011. † Testacella asinium Serres, 1827 Testacella bisulcata Risso, 1826"Species in genus Testacella" (n=6). AnimalBase, accessed 19 January 2011. Testacella bracciai Nardi & Bodon, 2011 † Testacella bruntoniana Serres, 1851 † Testacella deshayesii Michaud, 1855 Testacella fischeriana Bourguignat, 1862 Testacella gestroi Issel, 1873 Testacella haliotidea Lamarck, 1801 - the shelled slug, the type species of the genus † Testacella lartetii Dupuy, 1850 Testacella maugei Férussac, 1819 † Testacella pedemontana Sacco, 1886 † Testacella pontileviensis de Morgan, 1920 † Testacella puisseguri Schlickum, 1967 Testacella riedeli Giusti, Manganelli & Schembri, 1995 † Testacella sandbergeri Wenz, 1914 † Testacella schuetti Schlickum, 1967 Testacella scutulum Sowerby I, 1821 † Testacella zellii Klein, 1853 Nomen dubium Testacella antillarum Grateloup, 1855 Synonyms Testacella anomala Torres Minquez, 1924: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella barcinonensis Pollonera, 1888: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella catalonica Pollonera, 1888: synonym of Testacella scutulum G. B. Sowerby I, 1821 (original name) Testacella dikrangensis Godwin-Austen, 1876: synonym of Girasia dikrangensis (Godwin-Austen, 1876) (original combination) Testacella dubia Pollonera, 1888: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella esserana Fagot, 1892: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella europaea de Roissy, 1805: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella galliae Oken, 1816: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801 Testacella guadeloupensis Lesson, 1838: synonym of Omalonyx unguis (d'Orbigny, 1836) (junior synonym) † Testacella larteti Dupuy, 1850 : synonym of † Testacella lartetii Dupuy, 1850 (incorrect subsequent spelling) Testacella matheronii Potiez & Michaud, 1838: synonym of Omalonyx unguis (d'Orbigny, 1836) (junior synonym) Testacella subtrigona Pollonera, 1888: synonym of Testacella haliotidea Draparnaud, 1801(original name) Testacella vagans F. W. Hutton, 1882: synonym of Testacella maugei Férussac, 1819
Description These slugs have a very small, ear-shaped shell, which is situated far back on their bodies.
In the family Testacellidae, the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 31 and 35.Barker G. M.: Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, . 1-146, cited pages: 139 and 142.
Habitat These slugs are rarely observed, but they tend to live in gardens and farms where there is rich soil and a lot of earthworms.
Life habits These slugs live underground and hunt earthworms. They are usually only seen when they are forced up to the surface because the soil has become completely saturated with rain.
References
External links
Lamarck, J. B. (1801). Système des animaux sans vertèbres, ou tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animaux; Présentant leurs caractères essentiels et leur distribution, d'apres la considération de leurs rapports naturels et de leur organisation, et suivant l'arrangement établi dans les galeries du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, parmi leurs dépouilles conservées; Précédé du discours d'ouverture du Cours de Zoologie, donné dans le Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle l'an 8 de la République. Published by the author and Deterville, Paris: viii + 432 pp "Testacella Species" "Have You Seen A Shelled Slug Called Testacella!" "A predatory (shell) slug (Testacella haliotidea)"