Pittieria aurantiaca
Encyclopedia
Pittieria aurantiaca is a species
of predatory air-breathing land snail
, a terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Spiraxidae
.
This species was described based on only one specimen. This specimen was collected by William More Gabb
(1839-1878) in Costa Rica, and the species was described under the name Euglandina aurantiaca by George French Angas
in 1879, after Gabb's death. The species was subsequently moved to the genus Pittieria, which was created by Eduard von Martens
in 1901.
This snail is carnivorous but it also eats honeydew
while that substance is being produced by a species of lantern bug. A species of carpenter ant has been observed climbing onto the head of the snail in order to steal some of the honeydew while the snail is feeding in this way.
. It is now known to occur in the following countries and areas:
of Pittieria aurantiaca is fusiformly oblong, moderately thin and smooth. The surface is shiny. The color is a bright tawny orange, darker towards the base of the columella. The shell has 5½ slightly convex whorls
. The spire
is papillose and obtuse. The suture has a dark purple colour and is impressed. The columella is slightly oblique, shortly truncated in front. The outer lip is moderately arcuate, simple, not effuse towards the base. The aperture
is elliptically oblong and is a pale rosy purple within. The aperture covers half of the length of the shell.
The width of the shell is 13 mm. The height of the shell is 29-30 mm. The height of the aperture is 15-16 mm.
Pittieria aurantiaca has been observed to feed on honeydew
produced and ejected by Enchophora sanguinea
(a lantern bug in the family Fulgoridae). This is thought to be the first known trophobiotic interaction
between a gastropod and an insect. It was also observed that sometimes ants of an undescribed species in the genus Camponotus (JTL-005, JTL-005 on AntWeb, on Ants of Costa Rica) positioned themselves on the head of the snail in order to "steal" (kleptotrophobiosis) honeydew from the head of the snail. The snail did not appear to be disturbed in any way by this behavior of the ants.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of predatory 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...
, a 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 mollusk in the family Spiraxidae
Spiraxidae
Spiraxidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropods in the clade Eupulmonata .- 2005 taxonomy :...
.
This species was described based on only one specimen. This specimen was collected by William More Gabb
William More Gabb
William More Gabb was an American paleontologist.Gabb was born and educated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the leading center of American science at the time. He graduated from Jefferson Grammar School at age thirteen and was admitted to the prestigious Central High School of Philadelphia...
(1839-1878) in Costa Rica, and the species was described under the name Euglandina aurantiaca by George French Angas
George French Angas
George French Angas , was an English explorer, naturalist and painter.He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the eldest son of George Fife Angas, prominent in the establishment of the new colony of South Australia. Despite showing remarkable talent in drawing, he was placed in a London...
in 1879, after Gabb's death. The species was subsequently moved to the genus Pittieria, which was created by Eduard von Martens
Eduard von Martens
Eduard von Martens sometimes known as Carl or Karl Eduard von Martens, was a German zoologist.Born in Stuttgart in 1831, von Martens attended universities in Tübingen, Stuttgart and Munich, graduating from the University of Tübingen in 1855. In 1860, he set off as part of an expedition to the Far...
in 1901.
This snail is carnivorous but it also eats honeydew
Honeydew
Honeydew may refer to:* Honeydew , a cultivar group of melon* Honeydew , a sugar-rich sticky substance secreted by aphids and some scale insects* Honeydew, California, a town* Bunsen Honeydew, a fictional character from The Muppet Show...
while that substance is being produced by a species of lantern bug. A species of carpenter ant has been observed climbing onto the head of the snail in order to steal some of the honeydew while the snail is feeding in this way.
Distribution
The type locality of Pittieria aurantiaca was described as "from the hilly country", in Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It is now known to occur in the following countries and areas:
- Costa Rica:
- North-eastern Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo de SarapiquíPuerto Viejo de SarapiquíThis article is for the town in northeast Costa Rica. For the coastal town in southeast Costa Rica, see Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, known to locals as Puerto Viejo, is the capital of Sarapiquí Canton in Heredia Province, Costa Rica. It is located near the convergence point...
, San Miguel - Eastern Costa Rica: Turrialba, Tuis, 500-650 m.a.s.l.Meters above sea levelMeters above sea Level is a standard metric measurement of the elevation of a location in reference to historic mean sea level; the determination of what actually constitutes mean sea level over time however, may be determined by other parameters, such as the effects of climate history and climate...
, Santa Clara, 200-500 m.a.s.l., Cordillera de TalamancaCordillera de TalamancaThe Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries.... - South-western Costa Rica: Valley of Baca, Terraba
- North-eastern Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí
- PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
: Bocas del ToroBocas del Toro-Transportation:Bocas del Toro is accessible by air or boat. Most visitors fly into Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport from Costa Rica or Panama City. Ferries connect Almirante and Changuinola to Bocas del Toro. The ferry from travels thru a canal built to serve local banana...
Description
The 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...
of Pittieria aurantiaca is fusiformly oblong, moderately thin and smooth. The surface is shiny. The color is a bright tawny orange, darker towards the base of the columella. The shell has 5½ slightly convex whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
. The spire
Spire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
is papillose and obtuse. The suture has a dark purple colour and is impressed. The columella is slightly oblique, shortly truncated in front. The outer lip is moderately arcuate, simple, not effuse towards the base. The aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
is elliptically oblong and is a pale rosy purple within. The aperture covers half of the length of the shell.
The width of the shell is 13 mm. The height of the shell is 29-30 mm. The height of the aperture is 15-16 mm.
Ecology
All Spiraxidae are thought to be carnivorous.Pittieria aurantiaca has been observed to feed on honeydew
Honeydew (secretion)
Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the gut's terminal opening. Honeydew is particularly common as a secretion in the Hemipteran...
produced and ejected by Enchophora sanguinea
Enchophora sanguinea
Enchophora sanguinea is a species of lantern bug, a type of hemipteran, found in Central and South America. It was first described by William Lucas Distant in 1887. They are long. Their colour varies, but is normally red to green; they have a scimitar-shaped process on their heads...
(a lantern bug in the family Fulgoridae). This is thought to be the first known trophobiotic interaction
Trophobiosis
Trophobiosis is a symbiotic association between organisms where food is obtained or provided. The provider of food in the association is referred to as a trophobiont....
between a gastropod and an insect. It was also observed that sometimes ants of an undescribed species in the genus Camponotus (JTL-005, JTL-005 on AntWeb, on Ants of Costa Rica) positioned themselves on the head of the snail in order to "steal" (kleptotrophobiosis) honeydew from the head of the snail. The snail did not appear to be disturbed in any way by this behavior of the ants.
Further reading
- Thompson F. D. (1987). "Giant carnivorous land snails from Mexico and Central America". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum (Biological Sciences) 30(2): 29-52. This species is not mentioned in this work! -->