In recent years slugs have become increasingly important, partly because several species are agricultural and horticultural pests and partly because theyhave proved to be useful experimental animals, particularly in the field of neurophysiology. Most of the early works which included slugs were essentially taxonomic but the book byTaylor (1902-1907) contained a great deal of biological information about slugs, some of which is still relevant today. The publication of the book by Runham and Hunter (1970) represented a milestone in slug research, providing a comprehensive survey of current knowledge about slugs. The book by Godan (1983) on snailsand slugswas mainly concerned with theeconomic importanceof theseanimals. The purpose of the present book is to present a review of current knowledgeofthebiologyandecologyofslugs, togetherwith theirstatusand control as pests. Although relatively little is known about the biology and ecology of tropical slugs and most information is taken from work on European slugs, the European pest species have become widely distributed throughout temperate regions and this book should be of interest world wide. It is written as a source of information for people seeking to control slug pests and, also, for those wishing to use slugs for research or teaching purposes. The book is intended particularly to provide a starting point for those beginning research on slugs and an extensive bibliography has been provided.

This is the definitive reference work on the biology of terrestrial slugs. It covers their anatomy, physiology, ecology, behaviour, life cycles, slugs as transmitters of disease, slug crop damage and the control of slug pests. It contains an extensive bibliography.

Terrestrial mollusks, the second largest phylum in the animal kingdom, are vitally important to the earth's ecology. With the publication of Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest, a definitive and comprehensive guide to snails and slugs of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Montana is finally available. Primarily an identification guide, this richly illustrated volume offers complete information on the range of terrestrial mollusk shapes, sizes, and characteristics. It presents an overview of their habitat requirements as well as details of land snail and slug ecology, collection and preservation methods, and biogeography. Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest is an essential reference for biologists, horticulturalists, gardeners, and naturalists, and anyone wishing to identify species in the field. * Identification keys and species accounts for most of the 245 taxa of terrestrial slugs and snails in the region * 280 full-color photographs of 155 species and subspecies * Range maps for most species

Gastropods on land: phylogeny, diversity and adaptive morphology; Body wall: form and function; Sensory organs and the nervous system; Radular structure and function; Structure and function of the digestive system in Stylommatophora; Food and feeding behaviour; Haemolymph: blood cell morphology and function; Structure and functioning of the reproductive system; Regulation of growth and reproduction; Spermatogenesis and oogenesis; Population and conservation genetics; Life history strategies; Behavioural ecology: on doing the right thing, in the right place at the right time; Soil biology and ecotoxicology.

The book traces the ways in which terrestrial animals have evolved from aquatic ancestors and discusses the means by which they are adapted to life on land. The most important physiological adaptations are those involving salt and water balance, the excretion of nitrogen, reproductive mechanisms and the sense organ and these are given priority. Evidence from fossil history is combined with that from the ecology and physiology of present-day species to assess the probable routes along which various evolutionary lines had moved on to land. Individual chapters are concerned with specific animal groups and emphasis is placed on comparisons of physiological mechanisms between closely related animals before attempting wider generalisations. The book closes with a brief account of the recolonisation of the sea and fresh waters by terrestrial animals.