Sarasinula plebeia, commonly called the bean slug or the Caribbean leatherleaf slug, is a species of air-breathing land slug, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Veronicellidae.
Distribution Sarasinula plebeia was originally discovered by French zoologist Paul Henri Fischer from New Caledonia and described under the name Vaginulus plebeius in 1868. The type locality of the species is New Caledonia.
The distribution of Sarasinula plebeia includes: CubaMaceira D. F. (2003). "Las especies de la familia Veronicellidae (Mollusca, Soleolifera) en Cuba". Revista de Biología Tropical 51(3): 453-461. PDF . Jamaica Saint Martin, Leeward IslandsForcart L. (1973). "Notes on Veronicellidae and Athoracophoridae in Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago". The Nautilus 87(1): 25-27. Dominica Canouan Saba Island Southern USA from Mexico to Panama: MexicoNaranjo-García E., Thomé J. W. & Castillejo J. (2007). "A review of the Veronicellidae from Mexico (Gastropoda: Soleolifera). Revisión de los Veronicellidae de México (Gastropoda: Soleolifera)". Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 78: 41-50." Costa Rica Barrientos Z. (2003). "Lista de especies de moluscos terrestres (Archaeogastropoda, Mesogastropoda, Archaeopulmonata, Stylommatophora, Soleolifera) informadas para Costa Rica". Rev. Biol. Trop. 51(Suppl. 3): 293-304. PDF Rio Grande do Sul,Agudo-Padrón A. I. (14 May 2009). "Recent Terrestrial and Freshwater Molluscs of Rio Grande do Sul State, RS, Southern Brazil Region: A Comprehensive Synthesis and Check List". Visaya April 2009: 1-13. PDF . Brazil VenezuelaFernández de V, J. 1992: Contribución al conocimiento de las babosas y sietecueros (Mollusca: Gastropoda) Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía Maracay. 12(3-4):374-387. China (introduced) Saipan, Mariana Islands (introduced) Ritidian Point, Guam (introduced) San José, Leyte, Philippines (introduced) Wasi, Ambon Island, Moluccas(introduced) Vate, Aoba Island, Malakula Island, Espiritu Santo and Malo Island, New Hebrides(introduced)Forcart L. (1969). "Veronicellid land slugs from the New Hebrides from the New hebrides, with description of Semperula solemi, new species". Fieldiana 51(12): 147-156.
The species is already established in the USA and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as an invasive species, particularly to agriculture. It has therefore been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). "Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment". American Malacological Bulletin 27: 113-132. PDF .
Ecology Parasites of Sarasinula plebeia include: Angiostrongylus cantonensis
As a pest In Central America, Sarasinula plebeia is considered a major pest to agriculture.
Genetics The species is economically important, but as of 2001, only partial sequences of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene of the species had been published, by Dayrat et al. No further genetic data was made available until April 2010.
References This article incorporates CC-BY-3.0 text from the reference.Robinson D. G., Hovestadt A., Fields A. & Breure A. S. H. (July 2009). "The land Mollusca of Dominica (Lesser Antilles), with notes on some enigmatic or rare species". Zoologische Mededelingen 83 http://www.zoologischemededelingen.nl/83/nr03/a13
Further reading Thomé J. W. (1975). "Os gêneros da familia Veronicellidae nas Américas (Mollusca; Gastropoda)". Iheringia Zoologia 48: 3-56.
Rueda A., Caballero R., Kaminsky R. & Andrews K. L. (2002) "Vaginulidae in Central America, with emphasis on the bean slug Sarasinula plebeia (Fischer)". In: Barker G. M. (ed.). Molluscs as crop pests. CABI Publishing.
External links Sarasinula plebeia at National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Sarasinula plebeia on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site