Strange things are happening in the gardens of South Wales. A new species of slug has turned up in Cardiff and Caerphilly. This wild, white wonder is a carnivore that was probably introduced from the Caucasus, the closest location of related species. How, why and when the slug arrived in Wales is anyone's guess, although it seems to have been a recent introduction — the earliest records are around 2006.
"The Ghost Slug belongs to an obscure and almost unpronounceable group of slugs - the Trigonochlamydidae," said Ben Rowson, a biologist at National Museum Cardiff.
So they named the new species Selenochlamys ysbryda, which is, by comparison, easily pronounceable.
Caspar, the baby ghost slugThe National Museum Wales has more information, photos, a video and a handy ID guide. (Photos above from their site.)
HT to Zooilogix
