E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Hemphillia glandulosa Bland & W.G. Binney, 1872
Warty Jumping Slug
Family: Arionidae

Species account author: Robert Forsyth.

Distribution of Hemphillia glandulosa in British Columbia

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Species Information

Diagnosis

Among species of Hemphillia in BC, H. glandulosa is recognized by its smaller size, densely papillate dorsal hump, and fleshy horn-like protuberance at the end of the tail.

Animal

A small slug, brown with bluish-grey head and tentacles; dorsal hump/mantle with darker streaks and spots, covered with numerous, close-packed papillae; dorsal keep highly arched and laterally compressed; end of tail with a fleshy "horn".

Shell Mostly internal (small area exposed dorsally); plate-like, thin.

Habitat

Forests

Distribution

NW North America

Notes

Etymology

Genus named for Californian Henry Hemphill (1830-1914), a mason by profession, but an important early West Coast malacologist. The gender is feminine. Pronunciation should be "hemp-hill-ee-a", not "hem-fill-ee-a". Species epithet, Latin, "a dromedary", like "camelus", a reference to the hump on the back.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S2?	Red	SC (Apr 2013)

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Notes

This species was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as 'special concern' in 2003. The status report describes the species as follows: '[It] is asmall species with length of adults usually about 20 mm. There is a prominent dorsal hump (containing the viscera) that is covered by the mantle, and a flattened shell that is visible through a slit in the mantle. The body is depressed below the dorsal hump, and raised into a high dorsal keel on the tail; the end of the tail has a caudal mucus pore, which is overhung by a fleshy protuberance, often called the caudal “horn.” It is a species of moist forested and riparian habitats that is found at varying elevations, and is most prevalent in stands older than 35 years (COSEWIC 2003). It is a hermaphroditic, egg-laying species (COSEWIC 2003).

Reference

COSEWIC. 2003. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on theWarty Jumping-slug Hemphillia glandulosa in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
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Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

Mollus.ca Web Site
A Snail's Odyssey

General References

Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-09-17 8:36:48 PM]

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