Ariostralis nebulosa
Ariostralis nebulosa is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial, pulmonate, gastropod mollusk in the family Oopeltidae.
| Ariostralis nebulosa | |
|---|---|
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| Black-and-white photo of a live individual of A. nebulosa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata clade Eupulmonata clade Stylommatophora informal group Sigmurethra |
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| Subfamily: | Ariopeltinae[1] |
| Genus: | Ariostralis |
| Species: | A. nebulosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Ariostralis nebulosa Sirgel, 1985 | |
Distribution
This is a species of non-marine mollusc found in South Africa only.[1]
Ecology
A. nebulosa is readily found throughout the whole year.[1]
A. nebulosa serves as the first intermediate host for a parasite, the brachylaimid trematode Renylaima capensis.[1] Branched, cercariogenous sporocysts of this parasite massively develop in A. nebulosa.[1] These sporocysts are attached to the hepatopancreas, body wall, pallial floor and even to the genital system.[1] This fluke is highly specific at the first intermediate host level.[1]
The forest shrew (Myosorex varius) is a predator of A. nebulosa.[1] There is a possible direct infection of the shrew by the cercariae of R. capensis.
References
- Sirgel, W. F.; Artigas, P.; Bargues, M. D.; Mas-Coma, S. (2012). "Life Cycle of Renylaima capensis, a Brachylaimid Trematode of Shrews and Slugs in South Africa: Two-host and Three-host Transmission Modalities Suggested by Epizootiology and DNA Sequencing". Parasites & Vectors 5: 169. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-5-169.
- This article incorporates CC-BY-2.0 text from the reference "Life Cycle of Renylaima capensis", by Sirgel, Artigas, Bargues & Mas-Coma, 2012.