Cernuella Explained

Cernuella is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae,^[1] the hairy snails and their allies.^[2]

The native range of the genus is primarily Mediterranean.

Some species such as Cernuella virgata have become significant invasive species, agricultural pests, in parts of Australia.^[3]

This same species of the genus has been recovered in archaeological excavations from the Roman Empire occupation of Volubilis, an ancient habitation site in present-day Morocco.^[4]

Cernuella snails create and use love darts as part of their courtship and mating behavior.

Species

Species within the genus Cernuella include:

• Cernuella aginnica (Locard, 1882)
• Cernuella amanda (Rossmässler, 1838)
• Cernuella aradasii (Pirajno, 1842)
• Cernuella caruanae (Kobelt, 1888) ^[5]
• Cernuella cisalpina (Rossmässler, 1837)
• Cernuella hydruntina (Kobelt, 1883)
• Cernuella jonica (Mousson, 1854)
• Cernuella lampedusae (Kobelt, 1890)
• Cernuella neglecta (Draparnaud, 1805)
• † Cernuella palaeocastrensis (De Stefani in De Stefani et al., 1891)
• Cernuella rugosa (Lamarck, 1822)
• Cernuella selmaniana Brandt, 1959
• Cernuella tineana (Benoit, 1862)
• Cernuella virgata (Da Costa, 1778)

Synonyms:

• Cernuella dobrogica Grossu, 1983: synonym of Cernuella cisalpina (Rossmässler, 1837) (junior synonym)
• Cernuella metabola (Westerlund, 1889): synonym of Theba pisana (O. F. Müller, 1774) (junior synonym)
• Cernuella zilchi Brandt, 1959: synonym of Alteniella zilchi (Brandt, 1959) (original

References

• Monterosato, T. A. di. (1892). Molluschi terrestri delle isole adiacenti alla Sicilia. Atti della Reale Accademia di Scienze, Lettere e Belle Arti di Palermo, Terza Serie. 3 (2): 1-34. Palermo.
• Bank, R. A. (2017). Classification of the Recent terrestrial Gastropoda of the World. Last update: July 16, 2017.

External links

• Schlüter, F. (1838). Kurzgefasstes systematisches Verzeichniss meiner Conchyliensammlung nebst Andeutung aller bis jetzt von mir bei Halle gefundenen Land- und Flussconchylien. Gebauersche Buchdruckerei, Halle. vii + 40 pp
• Gude, G. K. & Woodward, B. B. (1921). On Helicella, Férussac. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 14 (5/6): 174-190. London

Notes and References

1. Razkin. Oihana. Gómez-Moliner. Benjamín Juán. Prieto. Carlos Enrique. Martínez-Ortí. Alberto. Arrébola. José Ramón. Muñoz. Benito. Chueca. Luis Javier. Madeira. María José. February 2015. Molecular phylogeny of the western Palaearctic Helicoidea (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 83. 99–117. 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.11.014. 25485783. 2015MolPE..83...99R . 1055-7903.
2. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Cernuella Schlüter, 1838. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=426368 on 2020-08-04
3. Barker, G. M. 2004. Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. CABI Publishing, 644 pp., .
4. Hogan, C.M. 2007. Volubilis. The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham.
5. L-Imnara. Pace. Carmelo. 2007. Il-Bebbus [The Snails]]. 4. 31. Maltese. 191.