Slugs and Snails

Slugs and Snails

ALL slugs and snails can carry the Rat Lung Worm parasite

All slugs and snails vectors of the Rat Lungworm parasite (Angiostrongylus cantonensis). Some can carry a higher parasite load than others but you should treat all slugs and snails with caution. Handle with gloves or tools, never with your bare hands.

Slugs and snails are a common garden pest that have a voracious appetite. They munch on plants leaving behind a gooey slime trail.

Treating Slugs and Snails

There are multiple ways to manage the slug and snail population in your garden.

Slug bait
Slug jug
Make your yard less habitable, removing excess green waste

Common Slug and Snail Guide

Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica)

Full grown adults can get up to 8 inches long and 5 inches in diameter
Shells are brownish with darker brown lengthwise stripes
Seven to nine whorls, including a swollen long body whorl, and cover at least half the length of the snail.

adult african snail in grass — Adult Giant African Snail

immature african snail — Adult Giant African Snail

Semi-Slug (Parmarion martensi)

Full grown adults can get up to 2 inches
Various shades of mottled grey
Hump on the back
Piece of shell on the hump

semi slug on ti plant — Adult Semi-slug

adult and immature semi slugs. showing different sizes of semi slugs — Adult Semi-slug

Black Slug (Veronicella leydigi)

Black with a thin yellow stripe
Body appears leathery

black slug on root ball — Black Slug
Photo by: Scot Nelson

black slug feeding on produce — Black Slug
Photo by: Scot Nelson

Cuban Slug (Veronicella cubensis)

Various shades of brown
Two black/dark brown stripes along body, or no stripes. Stripes can be broken making them look spotty
Thin light colored line down the middle of the body
Adults can be around 2-3 inches long

cuban slug that has a mottled coloring rather than stripes — Cuban slug with no stripe

cuban slig with distinctive pair of black stripes — Cuban slug with no stripe

Meghimatium bilineatum

Off white/light brown
2-3 inches long
Faint lines along the back

Meghimatium bilineatum next to ruler — Meghimatium bilineatum

Meghimatium bilineatum with finger for size reference — Meghimatium bilineatum

Grey Field Slug (Deroceras reticulatum)

35-55mm long
Creme or grey colored
Back half of the slug has grooves
Can have dark grey/brown speckles

Grey Field Slug, creme colored, no speckles — Grey Field Slug, creme colored, no speckles
Wikimedia Commons

grey field slug, grey with speckles — Grey Field Slug, creme colored, no speckles
Wikimedia Commons

Help us record the slugs and snails on the Big Island! Take as clear of a picture as you can and attach it to the report.

If you need help IDing the slug/snail email us the picture at biisc@hawaii.edu and save the specimen in a sealed container.