The Veronicellidae, also known by their common name the leatherleaf slugs, are a family of pulmonate terrestrial slugs. The herbivorous molluscs occur mainly in the tropical and subtropical areas of America, Asia and Africa. They act as intermediate hosts of the rat lung worm Angiostrongylus costaricensis, and act as a vector for other human diseases. They also cause significant damage to crops.

Description

The dorsal surface of these slugs is entirely covered by the mantle or hyponota. These mollusks have a posterior located anus, eyes on contractile (not retractile) tentacles, and no lung or pulmonary organ. In these aspects they are anatomically distinct from most other types of terrestrial slugs, which typically belong to the order Stylommatophora, and which have a forward located anus, and retractile tentacles. The closely related members of the family Onchidiidae differ from the Veronicellidae by having a pulmonary sac, or lung.

Distribution

Members of the family can be found in the Central African Republic, Kenya, Cameroon, tropical West Africa, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thailand, southern Asia, southern China, Taiwan, Cuba, the Highland Rainforests of Puerto Rico, Florida, Dominica, Hawaii, the islands of the Indian Ocean, Australia, Samoa and Guyana.

Life cycle

Some species of Veronicellidae bear live young.

Genera

The Veronicellidae family has no subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). Genera within the family Veronicellidae include: