Polygyridae
Encyclopedia
Polygyridae is a family
of air-breathing land snail
s, terrestrial
pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea
.
The Polygyridae make up a significant proportion of the land snail fauna of eastern North America
, and are also found in western North America, northern Central America
, and are present on some Caribbean
islands. The definitive reference to the group is Henry Pilsbry's
1940 monograph.
), the muscles which allow the eyes and pharynx to be retracted are united into a single band, and the jaws are ribbed.
In this family, the number of haploid chromosome
s lies between 26 and 35 (according to the values in this table).
this family consists of the following subfamilies and tribes:
and absent stimulatory organ. The two subfamilies, Polygyrinae and Triodopsinae, are distinguished on the basis of reproductive anatomy. As some species in the subfamily Polygirinae show a penial appendage. According to Kenneth C. Emberton, this family is monophyletic
.
Pilsbry uses the generic names Allogona
, Ashmunella
, Giffordius
, Mesodon
, Polygyra
, Praticolella
, Stenotrema
, Trilobopsis
, Triodopsis
, and Vespericola
. The remaining names listed here have either been elevated from Pilsbry's subgenera since 1940, or newly created.
Subfamily Polygyrinae
Shells of species within the Polygyrinae
Subfamily Triodopsinae
Shells of species within the Triodopsinae
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 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 in the superfamily Helicoidea
Helicoidea
Helicoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora.-Families:There are 19 families within the superfamily Helicoidea according to Bouchet & Rocroi .* Helicidae...
.
The Polygyridae make up a significant proportion of the land snail fauna of eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and are also found in western North America, northern Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and are present on some Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands. The definitive reference to the group is Henry Pilsbry's
Henry Augustus Pilsbry
Henry Augustus Pilsbry was an American biologist, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century...
1940 monograph.
Anatomy
This snail family is distinguished from other gastropods on the basis of several anatomical features: They have no dart apparatus (see love dartLove dart
A love dart is a hard, long, sharp, calcareous or chitinous dart which some hermaphroditic land snails and slugs create. Love darts are made in sexually mature animals only, and are used as part of the sequence of events during courtship, before actual mating takes place...
), the muscles which allow the eyes and pharynx to be retracted are united into a single band, and the jaws are ribbed.
In this family, the number of haploid chromosome
Chromosome
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 35 (according to the values in this table).
Taxonomy
According to the Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
this family consists of the following subfamilies and tribes:
- Subfamily Polygyrinae PilsbryHenry Augustus PilsbryHenry Augustus Pilsbry was an American biologist, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century...
, 1895- tribe Allogonini Emberton, 1995
- tribe Ashmunellini Webb, 1954
- tribe Polygyrini Pilsbry, 1895
- subtribe Mesodontina TryonGeorge Washington TryonGeorge Washington Tryon, Jr. was an American malacologist who worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.- Biography :George Washington Tryon was the son of Edward K. Tryon and Adeline Savidt...
, 1866 - subtribe Polygyrina Pilsbry, 1895
- subtribe Stenotrematina Emberton, 1995
- subtribe Mesodontina Tryon
- Subfamily Triodopsinae Pilsbry, 1940
Genera
This family is defined by an absent diverticulumDiverticulum
A diverticulum is medical or biological term for an outpouching of a hollow structure in the body. Depending upon which layers of the structure are involved, they are described as being either true or false....
and absent stimulatory organ. The two subfamilies, Polygyrinae and Triodopsinae, are distinguished on the basis of reproductive anatomy. As some species in the subfamily Polygirinae show a penial appendage. According to Kenneth C. Emberton, this family is monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
.
Pilsbry uses the generic names Allogona
Allogona
Allogona is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The shell of this genus is not distinguishable from the shell of Triodopsis, but the male reproductive anatomy is unusual, and is characteristic for the genus...
, Ashmunella
Ashmunella
Ashmunella is a genus of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Polygyridae.-Species:Species and subspecies within the genus Ashmunella include:*Ashmunella levettei...
, Giffordius
Giffordius
Giffordius is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The two known species, found on New Providence, Bahamas, were named after the early conservationist and politician, Gifford Pinchot and his wife, Cornelia, who discovered them...
, Mesodon
Mesodon
Mesodon is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Species:Species within the genus Mesodon include:* Mesodon altivagus - wandering globe...
, Polygyra
Polygyra
Polygyra is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The IUCN listed taxa, Polygyra hippocrepis and Polygyra peregrina, are now usually named Daedalochila hippocrepis and Millerelix peregrina.Polygyra contains the following species and...
, Praticolella
Praticolella
Praticolella is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.This genus comprises about 15 species of small snails with semi-globose shells.-Shell description:...
, Stenotrema
Stenotrema
Stenotrema is a genus of gastropod in the family Polygyridae. These are typically small to medium snails, with a velvety or hairy surface and a narrow aperture, usually closely guarded by well-developed "teeth".- Distribution :...
, Trilobopsis
Trilobopsis
Trilobopsis is a genus of small, rounded, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.The shells of species in this genus are about 5 to 8 mm in diameter ....
, Triodopsis
Triodopsis
Triodopsis is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Species:* Triodopsis hopetonensis - magnolia three-tooth, magnolia threetooth...
, and Vespericola
Vespericola
Vespericola is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Habitat:These snails are found along the Pacific coast of North America, from southernAlaska and British Columbia to California....
. The remaining names listed here have either been elevated from Pilsbry's subgenera since 1940, or newly created.
Subfamily Polygyrinae
- AppalachinaAppalachinaAppalachina is a genus of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Polygyridae.- Taxonomy :...
- DaedalochilaDaedalochilaDaedalochila is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.These are small snails, only about 10 mm to 15 mm in diameter , notable for their elaborately convoluted apertures, with only very narrow openings...
- EuchemotremaEuchemotremaEuchemotrema is a genus of small, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Shell description:The shell of species in this genus is usually about 8 to 11 mm in diameter...
- Fumonelix
- GiffordiusGiffordiusGiffordius is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The two known species, found on New Providence, Bahamas, were named after the early conservationist and politician, Gifford Pinchot and his wife, Cornelia, who discovered them...
- HochbergellusHochbergellusHochbergellus is a genus of air-breathing land snails, animal pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.This genus of snails has only one species, which is not distinguishable from species of the genus Vespericola on the basis of shell characters...
- InflectariusInflectariusInflectarius is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.- Species :Species in the genus Inflectarius include:* Inflectarius approximans Inflectarius is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in...
- LinisaLinisaLinisa is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.- Species :This genus includes the following species and subspecies :...
- LobosculumLobosculumLobosculum is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Shell description:...
- MesodonMesodonMesodon is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Species:Species within the genus Mesodon include:* Mesodon altivagus - wandering globe...
- MillerelixMillerelixMillerelix is a genus of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Polygyridae....
- Patera
- PolygyraPolygyraPolygyra is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The IUCN listed taxa, Polygyra hippocrepis and Polygyra peregrina, are now usually named Daedalochila hippocrepis and Millerelix peregrina.Polygyra contains the following species and...
- PraticolellaPraticolellaPraticolella is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.This genus comprises about 15 species of small snails with semi-globose shells.-Shell description:...
- StenotremaStenotremaStenotrema is a genus of gastropod in the family Polygyridae. These are typically small to medium snails, with a velvety or hairy surface and a narrow aperture, usually closely guarded by well-developed "teeth".- Distribution :...
- TrilobopsisTrilobopsisTrilobopsis is a genus of small, rounded, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks.The shells of species in this genus are about 5 to 8 mm in diameter ....
Shells of species within the Polygyrinae
Subfamily Triodopsinae
- AllogonaAllogonaAllogona is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.The shell of this genus is not distinguishable from the shell of Triodopsis, but the male reproductive anatomy is unusual, and is characteristic for the genus...
- AshmunellaAshmunellaAshmunella is a genus of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Polygyridae.-Species:Species and subspecies within the genus Ashmunella include:*Ashmunella levettei...
- CryptomastixCryptomastixCryptomastix is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.These snails cannot be differentiated from related polygyrids solely on the basis of their shell characters...
- NeohelixNeohelixNeohelix is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae....
- TriodopsisTriodopsisTriodopsis is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Species:* Triodopsis hopetonensis - magnolia three-tooth, magnolia threetooth...
- VespericolaVespericolaVespericola is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Habitat:These snails are found along the Pacific coast of North America, from southernAlaska and British Columbia to California....
- WebbhelixWebbhelixWebbhelix is a genus of North American land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae. The genus contains several taxa which were preeviously included under the name Triodopsis multilineata.-Species:...
- XolotremaXolotremaXolotrema is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Polygyridae.-Shell description:...
Shells of species within the Triodopsinae