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Biol Bull 160: 123-135. (February 1981)
© 1981 Marine Biological Laboratory
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APOMICTIC PARTHENOGENESIS IN A HERMAPHRODITIC TERRESTRIAL SLUG, DEROCERAS LAEVE (MÜLLER)

NANCY L. NICKLAS 1 and RICHARD J. HOFFMANN 2

1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
2 Department of Zoology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.

Electrophoretic studies and breeding experiments show that the terrestrial pulmonate slug, Deroceras laeve, usually reproduces by apomictic parthenogenesis, although reciprocal outcrossing in complete hermaphrodites occurs occasionally. The sexual status of the species is controlled by the environment, with low temperatures and/or exposure to light inhibiting the development of male organs. Both hermaphrodites and females reproduce parthenogenetically. Sampling of an artificially established field population suggests that apomixis is also the rule in nature, and surveys of natural populations reveal that most populations consist of only a single clone, based on genetic identity at 20 enzyme loci. In spite of apomictic reproduction there is little heterozygosity in nature, although there is some allelic variation between populations.

Submitted on July 14, 1980
Accepted on October 2, 1980




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K. Jordaens, J. Pinceel, and T. Backeljau
Life-history variation in selfing multilocus genotypes of the land slug Deroceras laeve (Pulmonata: Agriolimacidae)
J. Mollus. Stud., August 1, 2006; 72(3): 229 - 233.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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