Identification and Control Methods of the Slug Pest in Ganoderma lucidum

Slugs (SLuge), also known as shuiyanyou, bittichong, etc. They belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, order Stylommatophora, family Limacidae. The species that damage edible fungi include the wild slug (Agrioli-naxagrestisLinnaeus), the two-lined sticky slug (PhiolomycusbilimeatusBenson), and the yellow slug (LimaxflavusLinnaeus).

1. Morphology and habits

(1) The wild slug has a soft body without an outer shell, dark gray, yellowish white, or grayish yellow-red, with a few showing obvious dark bands or spots. It has 2 pairs of tentacles, black in color. The mantle is 1/3 of the body length, with curled edges, and contains a degenerated shell shield plate inside; the secreted mucus is colorless. When extended, the body length is 30-40 mm and the width is 4-6 mm.

(2) The two-lined sticky slug has a mantle covering the entire back, exposing only the tip of the foot. The body is gray or pale yellowish brown, with a longitudinal band composed of black spots along the middle of the back and on each side. The front end of the body is relatively wide, and the rear end is narrow and long. The tail has a ridge-like protrusion. The tentacles are blue-brown. The foot is flesh-white. The mucus is milky white. The respiratory pore is round and located 3 mm from the tentacles. When extended, the body length reaches 120 mm and the width is 12 mm.

(3) The yellow slug has a bare, soft body without an outer shell. It is deep orange or yellowish brown, with scattered pale yellow or white spots. The foot is pale yellow. It secretes pale yellow mucus. The tentacles are pale blue. There is an oval mantle at the front 1/3 of the back. When extended, it can reach 120 mm in length and 12 mm in width.

Regardless of the species, slugs share the same living habits: during the day they hide under dark, damp grass, branches and leaves, stones, and so on, and at night they come out to move and cause damage. They have omnivorous feeding habits. They reproduce 1 generation per year. The most suitable temperature for activity is 15-25°C.

2. Damage situation They feed on the young parts of mushroom buds and fruiting bodies, causing them to become notched or serrated and lose commercial value. Fruiting bodies that slugs have crawled over often retain a white sticky trail, affecting product quality.

3. Control methods

(1) Clear weeds, dead branches and fallen leaves, stones, and so on from the cultivation site and its surroundings, so that slugs have no place to hide. Spread lime powder on the ground or spray 0.3%-0.5% sodium pentachlorophenate.

(2) Taking advantage of the slugs' habit of hiding by day and coming out at night, and hiding in clear weather and coming out in rain, carry out manual capture and killing.

(3) Spray 5% cresol soap solution at places where slugs frequently enter and exit; this has a relatively good control effect.

(4) Make poisoned bait from calcium arsenate and cake powder (1:10), and scatter it near the site in the evening.