PEST PROFILES: SLUGS AND SNAILS

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Greenhouse slug Description: Adult greenhouse slugs are 2 - 3 inches in length. The body color is gray or black without distinct markings or patterns. The mantle is slightly granulose, the central portion bounded by a horseshoe-shaped groove. The breathing pore is on the right posterior half of the mantle. The body is strongly keeled. Damage: Greenhouse slugs differ from other pest slugs in that they are a burrowing species. They can cause serious injury to roots and stems. A few seen foliage means that many more are below the soil surface. Life cycle: Eggs are oviposited in a tunnel 1 - 2 inches from the soil surface, either singly or in clusters of up to 16. The adult slug plugs the end of the tunnel with mucus that dries to resemble the soil. Eggs hatch in 11 to 24 days depending on temperature. Parthenogenesis has been observed in greenhouse slugs. There is little information available on their life history. One study noted that slugs preferred drier sites during the day and moved to more humid areas at night.