(Continued from Tuatara, vol. 9, page 97)

In part I, a general account of the anatomy, habits, and derivation of the New Zealand native slugs was given. No key to the species or genera could be given in Part I as two of the four genera and twelve of the species had only recently been discovered, and descriptions of them had not been published elsewhere. Part II, therefore, comprises a key to the New Zealand and Subantarctic Athoracophoridae.

Since the publication of Part I, more information on the derivation of the New Zealand Athoracophoridae has come to light. (Solem, pers. comm.) Solem states that the New Hebridean slugs, in company with other slugs in the North, show a tendency towards grouping of the external orifices, a reduced or absent central radula tooth, and a reduction in the slime producing organs. By analogy with other groups, he concludes that these features show that the northern representatives of the group are more advanced than those in the south, and he thus argues that the group evolved in the north and then spread south to New Zealand and the Subantarctic islands.

Some of the specimens mentioned in the key have been described from a single specimen. In the main, these species come from areas where very little collecting has been done. Many species, such as Pseudaneitea schauinslandi and Athoracophorus maculosus have a very limited range, and much more collecting needs to be done before a comprehensive picture of the number of species and their distribution can be formed.

Key to the Genera of the N.Z. and Subantarctic Athoracophoridae

Plate I
Fig. 1, Pseudaneitea papillata; fig. 2, P. dendyi; fig. 3, P. multistriata; fig. 4, P. gigantea; fig. 5, P. jonhsi; fig. 6, P. sorenseni; fig. 7, P. schauinslandi. An., anus; g.o., genital orifice; h.s., head shield; l.gr., lateral groove; m.a., mantle area; m.gr., median groove; p.a., pulmonary aperture; r.o., renal orifice.
Plates I-III are reproduced by courtesy of the Editor, Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Key to the Species in the Genus Athoracophorus

Key to the Species in the Genus Reflectopallium

Key to the Species of the Genus Pseudaneitea

Plate II
Fig. 1, Reflectopallium martensi; fig. 2, Palliopodex verrucosus; fig. 3, Reflectopallium pseudophyllum; fig. 4, Athoracophorus bitentaculatus; fig. 5, Athoracophorus maculosus; fig. 6, Pseudaneitea aspera; fig. 7, Pseudaneitea powelli. An., anus; g.o., genital orifice.

Plate III
Fig. 1, Pseudaneitea maculata; fig. 2, Pseudaneitea gravisulca; fig. 3, Pseudaneitea campbellensis; fig. 4, Athoracophorus suteri; fig. 5, Reflectopallium papillatum; fig. 6, Reflectopallium delli.

Genus Palliopodex

There is only one species in this genus. This is P. verrucosus (Simroth) 1889.

Diagnosis. 20 lateral grooves, nearly all unbranched. Papillae very numerous, small, conical. Colour uniformly black, or yellowish-brown with a median black stripe, and bands of black streaks and spots flanking the midline on either side. Auckland Islands.

Definitions