Euconulidae
Encyclopedia
Euconulidae is a taxonomic family
of minute, air-breathing land snail
s, terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusks or micromollusk
s. This land snail family is closely allied to the Zonitidae, the glass snails.
, western-Palearctic
, eastern-Palearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian
, Malagasy
, south-eastern Asia, Australian, Polynesian and Hawaii.
which is roundly conical and broad-based, like the shape of an old-fashioned European woven bee hive
or skep. For this reason these snails are sometimes known as "hive snails".
The shells of most Euconulidae are only about 3 mm in size, amber-colored and translucent.
s lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).
Euconulinae
Microcystinae
subfamily ?
shows the phylogenic relationships of this family with the other families within the limacoid clade
:
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of minute, air-breathing land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
s, terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
pulmonate gastropod mollusks or micromollusk
Micromollusk
A micromollusk is a descriptive term for a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also reach adult size at very small...
s. This land snail family is closely allied to the Zonitidae, the glass snails.
Distribution
Distribution of Euconulidae include NearcticNearctic
The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earth's land surface.The Nearctic ecozone covers most of North America, including Greenland and the highlands of Mexico...
, western-Palearctic
Palearctic
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth's surface.Physically, the Palearctic is the largest ecozone...
, eastern-Palearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Malagasy
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, south-eastern Asia, Australian, Polynesian and Hawaii.
Shell description
These minute snails have a shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
which is roundly conical and broad-based, like the shape of an old-fashioned European woven bee hive
Bee Hive
The term Bee Hive can refer to:*Bee hive, an alternate spelling of the word beehive*Bee Hive, Alabama, an unincorporated community*The Bee-Hive , a 19th century British newspaper*Bee Hive Records, a jazz record label...
or skep. For this reason these snails are sometimes known as "hive snails".
The shells of most Euconulidae are only about 3 mm in size, amber-colored and translucent.
Anatomy
In this family, the number of haploid chromosomeChromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
s lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).
Genera
Subfamilies and genera in the family Euconulidae include:Euconulinae
- EuconulusEuconulusEuconulus is a genus of very small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Euconulidae, the hive snails.- Species :Species within the genus Euconulus include:* Euconulus alderi...
Reinhardt, 1883
Microcystinae
- Allenoconcha
- Aukena Baker, 1940
- BuffetiaBuffetiaBuffetia is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae....
- Cookeana
- DiastoleDiastole (gastropod)Diastole is a genus of air-breathing land snails or semi-slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae.- Species :Species in the genus Diastole include: * Diastole glaucina Baker, 1938...
Gude, 1913 - Faunulena
- Greenwoodoconcha
- Hiona Cooke, 1940
- IredaleoconchaIredaleoconchaIredaleoconcha is a genus of air-breathing land snails or semislugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae.This genus was named in honor of the malacologist Tom Iredale.-References:*...
Preston, 1913 - Kaala
- KusaieaKusaieaKusaiea is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Euconulidae, the hive snails.-References:*...
Baker, 1938 - LamprocystisLamprocystisLamprocystis is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Euconulidae, the hive snails.- Species :Species within the genus Lamprocystis include:* Lamprocystis denticulata...
- LiardetiaLiardetiaLiardetia is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Euconulidae, the hive snails.- Species :Species within the genus Liardetia include:* Liardetia boninensis...
- Mendana
- MicrocystisMicrocystisMicrocystis is the genus of freshwater cyanobacteria which includes the harmful algal bloom Microcystis aeruginosa.-Etymology:The generic moniker Microcystis derives from the Greek mikros + kystis...
- NancibellaNancibellaNancibella is a genus of air-breathing land snails or semislugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae.-References:*...
- Periclocystis
- PhilonesiaPhilonesiaPhilonesia is a genus of air-breathing land snails or semislugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicarionidae.-Species:Species within the genus Philonesia include:* Philonesia filiceti* Philonesia pitcairnensis...
Sykes, 1900 - Piena
- Pukaloa
- TengchienaTengchienaTengchiena is a genus of gastropod in the Euconulidae family.It contains the following species:* Tengchiena euroxestus...
subfamily ?
- PlegmaPlegmaPlegma is a genus of minute, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Euconulidae. It contains the following species:* Plegma caelatura...
Cladogram
The following cladogramCladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...
shows the phylogenic relationships of this family with the other families within the limacoid clade
Limacoid clade
The limacoid clade is a taxonomic clade of air-breathing land snails, semislugs and slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the informal group Sigmurethra.- Distribution :...
: