Few gardeners are fans of slugs. Their voracious appetites are far from made up for by their oozing bodies. And yet… And yet this curiously pale specimen caused me to stop in my tracks for a closer look, and then google ‘albino slug’.

I found this page, with the statement: “Emphasizing its spooky nature, we gave the species the scientific name Selenochlamys ysbryda, based on the Welsh word ysbryd, meaning a ghost or spirit. The common name “Ghost Slug” soon became popular. Identifying it with the obscure genus.”

Intriguingly, the page also state: “The bizarre Ghost Slug made headlines in 2008 when described as a new species from a Cardiff garden.”

Where were these slugs before then, and if they didn’t yet exist, why did they evolve? What evolutionary advantage could their white skin have, given that they’re most often discovered in dark, damp spaces, rather than snow?

Incidentally, I spotted this one in Arnos Vale Cemetery, which is very apt given the name.

My searches also informed me that slugs and snails are more closely related to octopuses than insects, which is a detail I love.

Can you turn this into a tale of evolution, oddities and unexpected beauty?

If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.