Macularia sylvatica explained

Macularia sylvatica is a medium-sized species of air-breathing dextral land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae. It was once seen as a close relative of the grove snail (Cepaea nemoralis), but does in fact not belong to the genus Cepaea at all.^{[1] [2]}

Geographic distribution and habitat

This west-Alpine species occurs in Germany, Italy, France, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.^[3] The vertical distribution extends from 265 m to 2560 m a.s.l.^[4] It lives in similar habitats as C. nemoralis, such as woods, dunes and grassland; however M. sylvatica tolerates wetter and colder mountain areas.

Description

Macularia sylvatica is generally similar in appearance to C. nemoralis, although the shell is smaller, not as colourful, and not as variable. The spire of the shell is blunt. The most obvious character is the formation of the colour bands on the shell, where at least the upper two appear to be "interrupted".

Notes and References

1. Neiber . M.T. . Hausdorf . B. . 2015 . Molecular phylogeny reveals the polyphyly of the snail genus Cepaea (Gastropoda: Helicidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 93 . 143–149 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.022 . 26256642.
2. Neiber . M.T. . Sagorny . C. . Hausdorf . B. . 2016 . Increasing the number of molecular markers resolves the phylogenetic relationship of "Cepaea" vindobonensis (Pfeiffer 1828) with Caucasotachea Boettger 1909 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Helicidae) . Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research . 54 . 1 . 40–45 . 10.1111/jzs.12116 . free .
3. Francisco W. Welter-Schultes: European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification = Bestimmungsbuch für europäische Land- und Süsswassermollusken. A1-A3 S., 679 S., Q1-Q78 S., Göttingen, Planet Poster Ed., 2012, (S. 368)
4. Turner H, Kuiper JGJ, Thew N, Bernasconi R, Rütschi J, Wüthrich M & Gosteli M: Atlas der Mollusken der Schweiz und Liechtensteins. Centre suisse de catographie de la faune/Schweizerische Entomologische Gesellschaft/Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald,Schnee und Landschaft, 1998,