Key Points
Identifying slug species, understanding their life cycles and recognising that some eat more than others is valuable information to growers making decisions about slug control options.
- Four main species of slugs have been identified in cropping systems in New Zealand.
- Our research has highlighted that Derocerus reticulatum is the major slug pest of concern in New Zealand cropping systems. Different slug species have different levels of damage.
- Other pests are present in crops that cause identical damage to slugs. This highlights the necessity of monitoring and knowing what pests you have before applying control measures.
- Presented is a pictorial key to pest slug species in NZ cropping. The information below includes data and images from IPM Technologies Pty Ltd in Australia who are collaborating on this project.