- Source: Prophysaon
Prophysaon, common name taildropper slugs, is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Ariolimacidae.
These slugs can self-amputate (autotomy) a portion of their tail. This autotomy has been observed in the species Prophysaon andersoni.
Distribution
This genus of slugs occurs in North America, including California and Oregon.
Species
Species in the genus Prophysaon include 10 species (9 according to Turgeon et al. 1998 plus one known undescribed species):
Prophysaon andersoni (J. G. Cooper, 1872) - Reticulate Taildropper, Anderson's Taildropper Slug
Prophysaon boreale Pilsbry, 1948 - Northern Taildropper
Prophysaon coeruleum Cockerell, 1890 - Blue-Gray Taildropper
Prophysaon dubium Cockerell, 1890 - Papillose Taildropper
Prophysaon fasciatum Cockerell in W. G. Binney - Banded Taildropper
Prophysaon foliolatum (Gould, 1851) - Yellow-bordered Taildropper
Prophysaon humile Cockerell, 1890 - Smoky Taildropper
Prophysaon obscurum (Cockerell, 1890) - Mottled Taildropper
Prophysaon vanattae Pilsbry, 1948 - Scarlet-backed Taildropper
Prophysaon vanattae var. pardalis
Prophysaon undescribed species from Siskiyou County, California.
Species brought into synonymy
Prophysaon flavum Cockerell, 1890: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)
Prophysaon hemphilli Bland & W. G. Binney, 1873: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)
Prophysaon pacificum Cockerell, 1890: synonym of Prophysaon andersonii (J.G. Cooper, 1872)
References
External links
information about Prophysaon andersoni: http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/molluscs/arionidae.html
Wilke T. & Duncan N. 2004. Phylogeographical patterns in the American Pacific Northwest: lessons from the arionid slug Prophysaon coeruleum. Molecular Ecology, volume 13, issue 8, pages 2303–2315.
Prophysaon sp. 1 A Terrestrial Slug. NatureServe Explorer.