▁shown ▁that ▁this ▁species ▁name ▁has ▁been ▁frequently ▁mis app lied ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁w ides p read ▁Ric c ardo ella ▁ou dem ans i , ▁the ▁white ▁sl ug ▁m ite . ▁Despite ▁its ▁name , ▁R . ▁lim ac um ▁is ▁typically ▁a ▁restricted ▁par as ite ▁of ▁sn ails , ▁while ▁R . ▁ou dem ans i ▁is ▁the ▁common ▁species ▁on ▁sl ugs , ▁although ▁it ▁occasionally ▁fe eds ▁on ▁sn ails ▁too . ▁ ▁Host s ▁ ▁M ite ▁in fection ▁among ▁g ast rop od ▁populations ▁var ies ▁greatly . ▁D ense ▁g ast rop od ▁population ▁fav ors ▁in fection ; ▁isolated ▁populations ▁may ▁remain ▁un in fect ed . ▁Old er ▁and ▁larger ▁g ast rop ods ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁show ▁in fection . ▁M ites ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁to ▁move ▁from ▁host ▁to ▁host ▁when ▁hosts ▁mate , ▁and ▁when ▁g ast rop ods ▁con greg ate ▁in ▁mo ist ▁soil ▁and ▁under ▁rocks ▁during ▁the ▁day . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁shown ▁that ▁mit es ▁move ▁prefer entially ▁towards ▁fresh ▁m uc us ▁when ▁they ▁travel ▁along ▁m uc us , ▁en abling ▁them ▁to ▁follow ▁m uc us ▁tra ils ▁to ▁new ▁hosts . ▁Once ▁inf ected , ▁individual ▁g ast rop ods ▁take ▁longer ▁to ▁m ature ▁and ▁show ▁reduced ▁m ating , ▁activity , ▁and ▁feed ing . ▁In fect ed ▁sl ugs ▁and ▁sn ails ▁lay ▁fewer ▁eggs ▁than ▁un in fect ed ▁individuals . ▁In fect ed