Limax redii Gerhardt 1933
Endemic species from a small and restricted area in the S Alps.
Vulnerable in Switzerland.
Differs from other species mainly by its conspicuous copulation behaviour: needs to climb up perpendicular rocks or tree trunks of considerable height. Penis longer than in Limax punctulatus, from which it differs also in its conspicuous proboscid structure during copulation. Copulation takes about 2 hours.
External: Slug creamy or yellowish, sometimes with bluish hue, usually with scattered black dots; less dotted on mantle; head and tentacles grey; sole unicoloured.
Up to 150 mm long, exceptionally 230 mm.
N Italy (Como, Varese), S Switzerland (Ticino, W of Lago di Como).
Mixed deciduous forests with dead wood at the soil, on calcareous substrate. In the winter deep inside the soil or between rocks, in the summer usually deep inside leaf litter layers. Best seasons for observation above the soils is in spring after the first heavy rainfalls, or in autumn when the slugs climb tree trunks or perpendicular rocks for copulation. In Switzerland in up to 900 m altitude.