Beware the super slug! Experts fear new invasion of Spanish slugs is "a disaster ... - Mirror.co.uk

Britain's plants and crops are at risk from a new killer slug - described by experts as "a disaster waiting to happen".

Scientists fear another invasion of Spanish slugs after millions of the Iberian invaders were spotted last spring. Britain's gardens were only saved thanks to the sharp, late frosts of May which killed them.

But scientists now fear the Spanish slug could breed with native varieties to form a hybrid - combining the worst of the Spanish slug with tolerance to frosts and cold from the British species.

Now scientists are seeking help from the public to monitor the spread of the creature originally thought to have arrived here on salad leaves but which has bred rapidly, laying up to 400 eggs each.

A group of scientists have created a "slugwatch" website so people can report where and when they have seen Spanish slugs.

There will also be instructions on building traps to catch them. The project will be launched to coincide with UK Biology Week.

Dr Ian Bedford, head of entomology at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, said: "The Spanish slug is a voracious predator that can survive eating many of the slug pellets that are supposed to kill them.

"It eats crops spared by our native slugs, tolerates drier conditions, reproduces in greater numbers and even eats dead animals and excrement.

"We want photos and sightings from members of the public to help build a picture of how widespread the Spanish slug is.

"The reports may also give us an idea of whether it is breeding with native species to form a hybrid combining the worst of the Spanish slug with tolerance to frosts and cold from our own species."

The Spanish slug was first spotted in Britain by Dr Bedford in his Norfolk garden. He said: "Every day there seemed to be more of them.

"One day I counted 350.

"I decided to send samples to check their identity and they turned out to be Spanish slugs."

The species appeared in Scandinavia a few years ago, where they bred so quickly that squashed slugs on roads became a serious traffic hazard.

And it looked as if Britain would follow suit. Dr Bedford said: "In early spring, numbers of the slugs began to appear and it looked as if we were in trouble. "But the late spring frosts seemed to have killed off baby Spanish slugs and saved us - for the time being."

Scientists stress that slugs play an important role in the ecosystem: they are natural composters, breaking down vegetation, and provide food for our hedgehogs, toads and some garden birds.

Of the 30 native slug species in the UK, only four are classed as pests: the netted or grey field slug, the garden slug, the keeled slug and the large black slug. However, the Spanish slug could prove to be an even greater threat.

Dr Bedford added: "We need to know exactly how they are distributed and that is why we have set up this website. "We need public help, badly."