Tag: Valloniidae

• Helix pulchella O.F. Müller 1774 in 1773–1774: 30.
• Vallonia excentrica Sterki in Pilsbry 1893 in 1892–1893: 249, pl. 32 figs 6–9.

Identification. Shell depressed. Spire low but elevated. Whorls c. 3–3½, convex. Periphery medial. Suture deep. Last whorl not or scarcely descending at adult aperture. Protoconch smooth. Teleoconch without lamellar riblets but with incremental striae and wrinkles. Aperture rounded, width and height about equal, edentulous. Lip abruptly expanded, heavily thickened within. Umbilicus c. ⅓ of shell width. Shell silken; thin, translucent, whitish or almost clear; thickened lip brilliant white and opaque. Shell to 2.5 mm (wider than high).

Animal white, with black eye spots.

Comparisons. This species differs from all other Vallonia species in BC in lacking well-formed colabral ribs. In strongly ribbed species, when these ribs are worn off, care must be taken not to mistake them for V. pulchella.

Habitat. In BC, this species lives in gardens, in lawns, and on waste ground, under rocks, wood, debris, and vegetation. Snails are often associated concrete structures such as culverts and sidewalks, or under rocks, wood, and debris. Vallonia excentrica appears to occur only in anthropogenic habitats in BC, which is the basis for thinking that it is introduced.

Geographic range. In BC, generally widespread. Grass (1967a) reported V. pulchella from BC for the first time, and Forsyth (2004b) thought it (along with the synonymous V. excentrica) to be introduced. It occurs across southern Canada east to Newfoundland. It is also present in Europe and introduced to many places worldwide.

Etymology. Vallonia: named after either for the Roman goddess of valleys, Vallonia (Pilsbry 1948), or perhaps after the town of Vallon, Ardèche, south-central France (Kennard & Woodward 1926); the gender is feminine. Pulchella: diminutive of pulcher (Latin), lovely.

Remarks. Vallonia excentrica was, until recently, considered to be a separate species. Nekola et al. (2025) analyzed mtDNA and nDNA sequences and found that many of the morphological characters used to differentiate purported species of Vallonia are rather remarkably variable. Included among these characters is the development of the final portion of the last whorl. In the past V. excentrica was differentiated from V. pulchella by its more gradual expansion (vs sudden expansion at nearly a right angle in V. pulchella—e.g. Pilsbry 1948; Gerber 1996; Forsyth 2004).

References

• Forsyth RG (2004) Land Snails of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada, iv, 188 pp.
• Grass AL (1967) On Vallonia pulchella. Pacific Northwest Shell News 7: 43–44.
• Kennard AS, Woodward BB (1926) Synonymy of the British non-marine Mollusca (Recent and post-Tertiary). British Museum (Natural History), London, United Kingdom, xxiv + 447 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.8325
• Müller OF (1774) Vermium terrestrivm et fluviatilium, seu animalium infusorium, helminthicorum, et testaceorum, non marinorum, succincta historia. Volumen alterum: testacea. Heineck & Faber, Havniæ & Lipsiæ, xxxvi + 214 + [x] pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.46299
• Nekola JC, Gerber J, Horsáková V, Líznarová E, Kafimola S, Mikulášková E, Nováková M, Horsák M (2025) Taxonomic deception via obvious traits: oversplitting in European Vallonia Risso, 1826 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Valloniidae). Zoologica Scripta 55: 37–51.  https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.70024
• Pilsbry HA (1892–1893) Helicidæ, Vol. VI. Manual of Conchology, Structural and Systematic with Illustrations of the Species Second Series: Pulmonata 8: 1–314, pls 1–58. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1287448

• H[elix] harpa Say 1824: 256, pl. 15 fig. 1.

Identification. Shell conic-ovate, fragile, poorly calcified. Spire raised, conical. Whorls c. 4, convex. Suture rather deeply indented. Periphery rounded. Aperture subovate, height > width, edentulous. Lip thin, simple; columellar lip expanded. Protoconch microscopically granular (or with exceptionally fine, uneven spiral striae; Schileyko 1998). Teleoconch with rather evenly, widely spaced, lamellar (periostracal) colabral ribs with irregular incremental striae between. Ribs sometimes in part obsolete or unequal in spacing and size. Umbilicus tiny. Shell very thin, slightly translucent, with a silky lustre; brown. Height to 3.4 mm (higher than wide).

Animal grey with darker ocular tentacles and pale foot; mantle dark grey, speckled with white. Foot prominently crenulated. Large labial lobes present. Sensory tentacles nearly obsolete (Pilsbry 1895 in 1893–1895, 1948).

Comparison. Zoogenetes harpa is unlike any other land-snail species in BC. The conic-ovate shell having widely spaced, thin lamellar ribs is distinctive.

Habitat. This species lives in dry to mesic forests and open habitats, often somewhat disturbed, such as road­sides. It often occurs in acidic habitats. Occasionally, it has been found in drier parts of marshes. Zoogenetes harpa frequently occurs in sporadic, discreet colonies, but where present, it is often abundant. Snails live in leaf litter and under rocks and coarse woody debris. During cool, wet weather, it has been reported climbing vegetation and tree trunks.

Geographic range. In BC, Z. harpa is common in the north-central interior of the province. It is apparently absent along the coast and possibly not so common in south-eastern BC (or at least there are fewer records).

Europe, mostly northern, through northern Asia. In North America, much of Canada and the northern USA south along the Rocky Mountains south to Colorado (Pilsbry 1948). Widespread across most of Canada, where it is known from every province and territory except Nunavut.

Biology. Animals are mostly aphallic (e.g. Schileyko 1998), and euphallic individuals, as figured by Pilsbry (1948: fig. 557) are less common. Zoogenetes harpa is ovoviviparous; that is, the young hatch from their egg within the parent and emerge as fully developed snails. At birth, the young snails are as large as the aperture of the adult shell (Pilsbry 1948).

Etymology. Zoogenetes: derived from Greek zoion, animal + genesis, origin or birth, in reference to the ovoviviparity (Pilsbry 1948). The gender is feminine. Harpa (Latin), a harp, likely the allusion of the riblets to strings on a harp.

References

• Pilsbry HA (1893–1895) (Helicidæ, vol. 7) Guide to the study of Helices. Manual of Conchology, Structural and Systematic with Illustrations of the Species Second Series: Pulmonata 9: i–xlviii, 1–366, 1–126, pls 1–71.
• Pilsbry HA (1948) Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico), vol. II, part 2. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Monographs 3: i–xlvii + 521–1113.
• Say T (1824) Appendix. Part I. — Natural history. §1. In: Keating WH (Ed.) Narrative of an expedition to the Source of St Peter’s River, Lake Winnepeek, Lake of the Woods, &c &c performed in the year 1823, by order of the Hon JC Calhoun, Secretary of War, under the command of Stephen H Long, Major USTE Compiled from the notes of Major Long, Messrs Say, Keating, and Colhoun. H.C. Carey & I. Lea, Philadelphia, 253–378.
• Schileyko AA (1998) Treatise on Recent terrestrial pulmonate molluscs. Part 1: Achatinellidae, Amastridae, Orculidae, Strobilopsidae, Spelaeodiscidae, Valloniidae, Cochlicopidae, Pupillidae, Chondrinidae, Pyramidulidae. Ruthenica Supplement 2: 1–128.

• Helix costata O.F. Müller 1774 in 1773–1774: 31.

Identification. Shell subdiscoidal, with spire slightly elevated. Whorls few, c. 3¼–3½. Periphery rounded. Aperture subrotund. Adult lip thickened within by an opaque rib-like callus, expanded and flat-faced. Umbilicus c. 1/3 of shell width. Protoconch usually with indistinct spiral threads (periostracal). Teleoconch with prominent mostly periostracal colabral ribs, c. 28–41 on last whorl; microscopic incremental striae. Shell with a silky sheen, greyish white. Width to c. 2.7 mm (wider than high).

Animal milky white with dark eyespots.

Comparison. This species closely resembles other ribbed Vallonia. From V. gracilicosta, it is distinguished by the fewer colabral ribs, which are, thus, more widely spaced, and the presence of weak spiral threads on the protoconch.

Habitat. In BC, V. costata is known from gardens and open anthropogenic habitats. Generally, it occurs in open, usually rather xeric, anthropogenic habitats, such as lawns, waste ground, roadsides, meadows, and unkempt gardens. It is a calciphile and is frequently associated with concrete structures and limestone in some area. Underneath rocks, debris, boards, dead wood, and vegetation.

Biology. Animals predominantly reproduce by self-fertilization several times during their lives, producing eggs are ellipsoid (mean length 0.69 mm), heavily calcified, and laid singly (Kuźnik-Kowalska & Proćków 2016). Under laboratory conditions, snails lived for c. 1–2⅓ years. During this time, shell growth is initially rapid, then slower, with the mature, thickened lip being completed 120 days on average after hatching, but in as few as 42 days (Kuźnik-Kowalska & Proćków 2016).

Geographic range. Introduced to BC and known only from Kamloops (Forsyth & Nicolai 2019), although it could be expected elsewhere but may be mistaken for another species. Elsewhere in Canada, V. costata is known from Alberta (rare) and southern Manitoba through southern Ontario and southern Quebec (common). There are a few records from New Brunswick. The Central Canadian and US populations may represent early introductions (Gerber 1996), and the remote and peripheral occurrences are almost certainly introduced. Indeed, it is possible that North American populations are entirely introduced (Nicolai & Forsyth 2019).

Widespread in Europe north to Scandinavia, south to North Africa, and scattered records east to Lake Baikal, Siberia (Gerber 1996); also reported from Israel, South Africa, and Australia (Gerber 1996).

Etymology. Vallonia: named after either for the Roman goddess of valleys, Vallonia (Pilsbry 1948), or perhaps after the town of Vallon, Ardèche, south-central France (Kennard & Woodward 1926); the gender is feminine. Costatus (Latin), ribbed.

References

• Gerber J (1996) Revision der Gattung Vallonia Risso 1826 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Valloniidae). Schriften zur Malakozoologie aus dem Haus der Natur—Cismar 8: 1–227.
• Kennard AS, Woodward BB (1926) Synonymy of the British non-marine Mollusca (Recent and post-Tertiary). British Museum (Natural History), London, United Kingdom, xxiv + 447 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.8325
• Kuźnik-Kowalska E, Proćków M (2016) Reproductive biology and growth of two Vallonia species in laboratory conditions (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Valloniidae). Folia Malacologica 24: 265-273. https://doi.org/10.12657/folmal.024.022
• Müller OF (1774) Vermium terrestrivm et fluviatilium, seu animalium infusorium, helminthicorum, et testaceorum, non marinorum, succincta historia. Volumen alterum: testacea. Heineck & Faber, Havniæ & Lipsiæ, xxxvi + 214 + [x] pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.46299
• Nicolai A, Forsyth RG (2019) First record of Vallonia costata (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Valloniidae) from British Columbia, Canada, confirmed by partial-COI gene sequence. Check List 15: 287–293. https://doi.org/10.15560/15.2.287
• Pilsbry HA (1948) Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico), vol. II, part 2. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Monographs 3: i–xlvii + 521–1113.

• Punctum clappi Pilsbry 1898: 133.

Identification. Shell subdiscoidal. Spire nearly flat. Whorls few, c. 3½. Suture deep. Periphery rounded. Aperture almost round. Lip thin, simple. Last whorl with scarcely a downwards deflection. Umbilicus broad, c. ¼ of shell width. Protoconch indistinctly, microscopically granular. Teleoconch sculpture prominent, erect, fragile, colabral periostracal ribs (but sometimes eroded off), c. 35 on last whorl; microscopic spiral striae, especially on base; microscopic incremental striae. Shell with a silky sheen, brown. Width to 2.2 mm (wider than high).

Animal translucent white; head and ocular tentacles grey.

Comparison. Shells of ribbed Vallonia spp. are superficially similar, but they are whitish and with a flared, usually thickened peristome in adults. Paralaoma borealis has a slightly larger shell, with a higher spire and narrower umbilicus, and colabral ribs which are numerous.

Habitat. This species lives in leaf litter in rich, moist areas in forests.

Geographic range. In BC, this species occurs from Haida Gwaii to Vancouver Island and the southern coastal mainland. It is expected from along the mainland North Coast, although there are no records from this area. It occurs in the wet southern interior mountains but is possibly rare there (Forsyth 2004b; Ovaska et al. 2010, 2020).

Alexander Archipelago, Alaska (unpublished data) and south to Trinity County (Klamath Mountains) and Mendocino County, California (Roth 1985; Roth & Sadeghian 2003); northern Idaho (Frest and Johannes 2001; Burke 2013).

Etymology. Planogyra: Planus (Latin), flat + gyros (Greek), whorl. The gender is masculine. Clappi: named after Dr George Hubbard Clapp (1858–1949), an American conchologist, numismatist, and early 20th century industrialist (Wikipedia).

Remarks. This species was first reported from BC as Punctum asteriscus by Taylor (1889), which, however, is an eastern North American species now known as Planogyra asteriscus (E.S. Morse, 1857). Pilsbry (1899) first recognized Vancouver Island specimens as P. clappi the year following his description (1898) of the species.

References

• Burke TE (2013) Land snails and slugs of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon, USA, 344 pp.
• Forsyth RG (2004b) Land Snails of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada, iv, 188 pp.
• Frest TJ, Johannes EJ (2001) An annotated checklist of Idaho land and freshwater mollusks. Journal of the Idaho Academy of Sciences 36: 1–51.
• Ovaska K, Chichester L, Sopuck L (2010) Terrestrial gastropods from Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada, including description of a new northern endemic slug (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Arionidae). The Nautilus 124: 25–33. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50437639
• Ovaska K, Sopuck L, Heron J (“2019” 2020) Surveys for terrestrial gastropods in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, with new records and range extensions. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 133: 221–234. https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v133i3.2287
• Pilsbry HA (1898) Descriptions of new American land shells. The Nautilus 11: 133–134. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1774703
• Pilsbry HA (1899) Notes on a few northwest American land snails. Proceedings of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 51: 314–315. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4062525
• Roth B (1985) A new species of Punctum (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Punctidae) from the Klamath Mountains, California, and first Californian records of Planogyra clappi (Valloniidae). Malacological Review 18: 51–56.
• Roth B, Sadeghian PS (2003) Checklist of the land snails and slugs of California. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Contributions in Science 3: 1–81.
• Taylor GW (1889) The land shells of Vancouver Island. The Ottawa Naturalist 3: 84–94. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30102966