Powelliphanta lignaria explained

Powelliphanta lignaria, known as one of the amber snails, is a species of large, carnivorous land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Rhytididae. The eggs of P. lignaria are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 10 × 8.25, 9 × 7.75, 9 × 8, 8.75 × 7.75 mm.^[1]

P. lignaria is endemic to the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. There are seven subspecies,^[2] all of which are listed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as threatened:^[3]

• Powelliphanta lignaria johnstoni Powell, 1946 – Nationally Endangered
• Powelliphanta lignaria lignaria Hutton, 1888 – Nationally Vulnerable
• Powelliphanta lignaria lusca Powell, 1949 – Nationally Vulnerable
• Powelliphanta lignaria oconnori Powell, 1938 – Nationally Vulnerable
• Powelliphanta lignaria rotella Powell, 1938 – Nationally Endangered
• Powelliphanta lignaria ruforadiata Powell, 1949 – Nationally Endangered
• Powelliphanta lignaria unicolorata Powell, 1930 – Nationally Vulnerable

Notes and References

1. A. C. O'Connor . 1945 . Notes on the eggs of New Zealand Paryphantidae, with description of a new subgenus . . 5 . 54–57 .
2. [Arthur William Baden Powell|Powell A. W. B.]
3. Web site: New Zealand Threat Classification System lists - 2002 - Terrestrial invertebrate - part one . . 2002 . March 3, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081015214354/http://doc.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage.aspx?id=39593 . October 15, 2008 .