Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea

National Institute of Ecology (국립생태원)
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First Report of the Leopard Slug (Limax maximus), a New Alien Species in Republic of Korea

  • Received : 2024.02.16
  • Accepted : 2024.03.20
  • Published : 2024.05.01
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Abstract

On August 21, 2023, the National Institute of Ecology reported the sighting of an invasive slug resembling Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758. near Bambat Tree Frog Park, Suwon-si, Korea. This slug is known for its aggressiveness. Specimens were collected around the park and from nearby farms. Through barcoding analysis and sequence comparison, it was identified as L. maximus, confirming its presence in Republic of Korea, alongside two previously identified Limax species, Limax flavus Linnaeus, 1758 and Lehmannia marginatus O. F. Müller, 1774. This study represents the first documented report of L. maximus in the country.

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Acknowledgement

This work was first initiated through a tip from an influencer (TV Biological Encyclopedia). This work was supported by a grant of "Nationwide Survey of Non-native Species in Republic of Korea (NIE-A-2024-12)" funded by the National Institute of Ecology, Republic of Korea.

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