Xerolenta obvia

Xerolenta obvia
Individuals of Xerolenta obvia
Not assessed[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily: Helicoidea
Family: Hygromiidae
Genus: Xerolenta
Species: X. obvia
Binomial name
Xerolenta obvia
(Menke, 1828)[2]
Synonyms

Helicella obvia

Xerolenta obvia is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.

Distribution

This land snail occurs in European countries [3] including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine,[4] Canada (Bethany, Ontario, Canada first detected in 1969 and 1972;[5] at least 23 occurrences in southern Ontario as of 2015[6]), United States of America (Wayne County, Michigan Detected in 2002 - B. Sullivan) and others.

This species in the USA is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[7]

Description

Shells of Xerolenta obvia are medium-sized (7-10 mm high, 14-20 mm wide) and relatively flat. In the adult stage, 5 to 6 turns are present. These shells are usually thick and smooth , with a white or yellowish-white basic color and quite variable, dark brown to almost black bands. The body is yellowish-brown.

Life cycle

The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.[8]

References

  1. Xerolenta obvia (2006). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Cited 19 June 2007.
  2. Menke C.T. (1828). Synopsis methodica molluscorum generum omnium et specierum earum, quae in museo Menkeano adservantur; cum synonymia critica et novarum specierum diagnosibus. pp. I-XII [= 1-12], 1-91. Pyrmonti. (Gelpke).
  3. Fauna europaea
  4. Balashov I. & Gural-Sverlova N. 2012. An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. Journal of Conchology. 41 (1): 91-109.
  5. Grimm, F. W. & Wiggins, G.B. ([1975]). Colonies of the European snail Helicella obvia (Hartmann) in Ontario. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 88 (4): 421–428.
  6. Forsyth, R.G., M.J. Oldham, E. Snyder, F.W. Schueler & R. Layberry (2015). Forty years later: distribution of the introduced Heath Snail, Xerolenta obvia, in Ontario, Canada (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hygromiidae). Check List 11(4): 1711. doi: 10.15560/11.4.1711
  7. Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment. American Malacological Bulletin 27: 113-132. PDF.
  8. Heller J. (2001). Life History Strategies'.' in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, ISBN 0-85199-318-4. 1-146, cited page: 428.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xerolenta obvia.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.