Life-history variation in selfing multilocus genotypes of the land slug Deroceras laeve (Pulmonata: Agriolimacidae)

The land slug Deroceras laeve shows an enormous variation inlife-history traits. Here, we compared several life-historycharacters (i.e. length of the prereproductive period, growthduring the egg-laying period, number of eggs, hatching success)within and among five selfing homozygous multilocus genotypes(MLG) and investigated a possible trade-off between the numberof eggs produced during the egg-laying period and growth duringthe egg-laying period. Life-history traits were highly variable.There was no significant correlation between slug size and fecundity.Slugs that matured early produced more eggs than slugs thatmatured later. Life-history traits were significantly differentamong MLGs, suggesting that genetic factors may affect and explainat least part of the variation in life-history traits in D.laeve. Finally, we found no evidence of a trade-off betweenthe number of eggs produced during the egg-laying period andgrowth during the egg-laying period. (Received 1 June 2005; accepted 28 October 2005)