Blue-grey taildropper slug (Prophysaon coeruleum) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

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Special Significance of the Species

This species appears to feed extensively on mycorrhizal fungi, including fungal species that form obligatory, symbiotic associations with tree roots (see Diet and predation). It might act as an important dispersal agent for these fungi, which often have fruiting bodies underneath the surface within the duff or decaying wood and that rely on animal vectors to excavate and disperse their spores. However, because of the rarity of the species in British Columbia, its role in this process is probably restricted and confined to local areas.

Apart from a possible role in improving forest health through dispersal of spores of mycorrhizal fungi, P. coeruleum has no economic significance. It is unlikely to become a horticultural pest because of its association with moist forests rather than with open, disturbed sites and because of its apparently low densities and scattered distribution pattern.

Land snails and slugs in general have cultural significance for Aboriginal Peoples on Vancouver Island (N. Turner, pers. comm.). However, to our knowledge, there is no specific information on the significance of P. coeruleum.

With its often-brilliant bluish colouration, P. coeruleum is an attractive slug that could become an emblem of invertebrate conservation in British Columbia, together with other interesting species such as the jumping-slugs. Its possible role in the complex interactions involving tree roots, fungi, and animals that disperse their spores poses important research questions and could be of interest to the public.