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Arion subfuscus

(Draparnaud, 1805)

Dusky Arion Slug

G5Secure Found in 20 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.121098

Element CodeIMGAS56090

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumMollusca

ClassGastropoda

OrderStylommatophora

FamilyArionidae

GenusArion

Other Common Names

Dusky Arion (EN)

Concept Reference

Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

Arion subfuscus was once considered to be a single species which included A. fuscus. More recently, however, Arion subfuscus has been recognized to be a complex of at least two cryptic species: the true Arion subfuscus and Arion fuscus. Both are European and both have been introduced in North America (R. Forsyth, pers. comm. 2015, Anderson 2005, Pinceel et al. 2004).

Conservation Status

Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x

Review Date2015-04-07

Change Date2002-10-08

Edition Date2015-04-07

Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J. (2009)

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

This is a widespread species, with many native and non-native occurrences and no significant threats at a global level.

Range Extent Comments

This species is found throughout eastern North America and Canada (Forsyth, 2004) as an exotic; but is also known from Western Europe where it is native (Jordaens et al., 2006).

Occurrences Comments

In October 2006, Orstan (2007) collected this species in Belt Woods, Prince George's Co., Maryland. In New York, Hotopp and Pearce (2007) report it from 8 counties as widespread but introduced. In California it was recently discovered in Humboldt, San Mateo, and Sonoma Cos. (McDonnell et al., 2009). Forsyth (2005) documented it in the Upper Fraser Basin of central British Columbia only from a campground at Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park but is known elsewhere in British Columbia from Buklkey Valley, the Queen Charlotte Islands and Alice Arm).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

From Dourson 2013: Found in mostly degraded habitats of cities and urban areas, usually living among or under stones, old wood piles and window wells; this pest species is especially problematic in gardens and can reach substantial numbers.

Terrestrial Habitats

Suburban/orchardUrban/edificarian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesNNA

Province	Rank	Native
Pennsylvania	SNA	No
California	SNA	No
Michigan	SNA	No
New Jersey	SNA	No
District of Columbia	SNA	No
Massachusetts	SNA	No
Kentucky	SNA	No
Wisconsin	SNA	No
Montana	SNA	No
Rhode Island	SNA	No
Idaho	SNA	No
Maine	SNA	No
Maryland	SNA	No
New York	SNA	No
North Carolina	SNA	No

CanadaNNA

Province	Rank	Native
Quebec	SNA	No
British Columbia	SNA	No
Island of Newfoundland	SNA	No
New Brunswick	SNA	No
Prince Edward Island	SNA	No
Ontario	SNA	No
Nova Scotia	SNA	No
Labrador	SNA	No
Manitoba	SNA	No

Roadless Areas (20)

Alaska (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Boston Bar	Chugach National Forest	53,617
Gravina	Tongass National Forest	37,381
Twenty Mile	Chugach National Forest	198,775

Arizona (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Cdo Wsa	Coronado National Forest	1,955

Montana (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
North Absaroka	Custer National Forest	21,063

New Hampshire (6)

Area	Forest	Acres
Great Gulf Ext.	White Mountain National Forest	15,110
Kilkenny	White Mountain National Forest	28,766
Mt. Wolf - Gordon Pond	White Mountain National Forest	11,846
Pemigewasset	White Mountain National Forest	32,255
Presidential - Dry River Ext	White Mountain National Forest	10,555
Wild River	White Mountain National Forest	46,878

North Carolina (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bald Mountain	Pisgah National Forest	11,085
Balsam Cone	Pisgah National Forest	10,591

Tennessee (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bald Mountain	Cherokee National Forest	11,743

Vermont (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Woodford 09086	Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests	2,456

Virginia (5)

Area	Forest	Acres
Little River	George Washington National Forest	27,292
New London Bridge Branch	Jefferson National Forest	844
Oak Knob	George Washington National Forest	10,882
The Priest	George Washington National Forest	5,737
Three Ridges	George Washington National Forest	4,745

References (14)

Anderson, R. 2005. An annotated list of the non-marine mollusca of Britain and Ireland. Journal of Conchology. 38(6):607-638. Available online: http://malacolog.com:8080/files/The%20list%20of%20molluscs%20in%20Ireland%20and%20GB.pdf
Dourson, D.C. 2010. Kentucky's land snails and their ecological communities. Goatslug Publications, Bakersville, NC. 298 pp.
Dourson, D.C. 2013. Land snails of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and southern Appalachians. Goatslug Publications, Bakersville, NC. 336 pp.
Dourson, D C. and West Virginia DNR. 2015. Land snails of West Virginia. Goatslug Publications, Bakersville, North Carolina. 412 pp.
Forsyth, R.G. 2004b. Land Snails of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 188 pp.
Forsyth, R.G. 2005a. Terrestrial gastropods of the Upper Fraser Basin of British Columbia. Living Landscapes, Royal British Columbia Museum: Victoria, British Columbia. 26 pp.
Grimm, F.W. 1971. Annotated checklist of the land snails of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Sterkiana, 41: 51-57.
Hendricks, P., and B.A. Maxell. 2005. USFS Northern Region 2005 land mollusk inventory: a progress report. Report submitted to the U.S. Forest Service Region 1. Agreement #05-CS-11015600-033. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana. 52 pp.
Hotopp, K. and T.A. Pearce. 2007. Land snails in New York: statewide distribution and talus site faunas. Final Report for contract #NYHER 041129 submitted to New York State Biodiversity Research Institute, New York State Museum, Albany, New York. 91 pp.
Jordaens, K., J. Pinceel, H. Krieckemans, and T. Backeljau. 2006. Accurate identificatino of cryptic slug taxa of the Arion subfuscus/ fuscus complex by PCR-RFLP (Pulmonata: Arionidae). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 72: 323-325.
McDonnell, R.J., T.D. Paine, and M.J. Gormally. 2009. Slugs. A guide to the invasive and native fauna of California. University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication 8336. 21 pp.
Orstan, A. 2007. Contact with an alien. Tentacle, 15: 14-15.
Pinceel, J., K. Jordaens, N. Van Houtte, A.J. De Winter and T. Backeljau. 2004. Molecular and morphological data reveal cryptic taxonomic diversity in the terrestrial slug complex Arion subfuscus/fuscus (Mollusca, Pulmonata, Arionidae) in continental north-west Europe. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83(1): 23-38.
Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, P. M. Mikkelsen, R. J. Neves, C. F. E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F. G. Thompson, M. Vecchione, and J. D. Williams. 1998. Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks. 2nd Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland. 526 pp.