Xerolenta obvia explained

Xerolenta obvia is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies.^[1]

Subspecies:

• Xerolenta obvia depulsa (L. Pintér, 1969)
• Xerolenta obvia obvia (Menke, 1828)
• Xerolenta obvia pappi (Schütt, 1962)
• Xerolenta obvia razlogi (L. Pintér, 1969)

Distribution

This land snail occurs in European countries^[2] including Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine,^[3] Canada (Bethany, Ontario, Canada first detected in 1969 and 1972;^[4] at least 23 occurrences in southern Ontario as of 2015^[5]), United States of America (Wayne County, Michigan Detected in 2002 - B. Sullivan) and others.

This species in the USA is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.^[6]

Description

Shells of Xerolenta obvia are medium-sized (7–10 mm high, 14–20 mm wide) and relatively flat. In the adult stage, 5 to 6 turns are present. These shells are usually thick and smooth, with a white or yellowish-white basic color and quite variable, dark brown to almost black bands. The body is yellowish-brown.

Life cycle

The size of the egg is 1.5 mm.^[7]

References

• Westerlund, C. A. &. Blanc, H. (1879). Aperçu sur la faune malacologique de la Grèce inclus l'Epire et la Thessalie. Coquilles extramarines. 161 pp. + errata (1 pp.), pl. 1–4.
• Bank, R. A. (2011). Authorships and publication dates in malacology: some notes on the 2011 French Checklist of Welter-Schultes & al. Mitteilungen der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft. 86: 13–24. Frankfurt am Main
• Bank, R. A.; Neubert, E. (2017). Checklist of the land and freshwater Gastropoda of Europe. Last update: July 16, 2017

External links

• Clessin, S. (1879). Aus meiner Novitäten-Mappe. Malakozoologische Blätter. Neue Folge. 1: 3–16.
• Mousson, A. (1863). Coquilles terrestres et fluviatiles, recueillies dans l'Orient par M. le Dr. Alex. Schläfli. Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich. 8: 275-320, 368-426

Notes and References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Xerolenta obvia (Menke, 1828). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1003460 on 2022-08-03
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20161104143521/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=428799 Fauna europaea
3. Balashov I. & Gural-Sverlova N. 2012. An annotated checklist of the terrestrial molluscs of Ukraine. Journal of Conchology. 41 (1): 91-109.
4. Grimm, F. W. & Wiggins, G.B. ([1975]). Colonies of the European snail Helicella obvia (Hartmann) in Ontario. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 88 (4): 421–428.
5. Forsyth, R.G., M.J. Oldham, E. Snyder, F.W. Schueler & R. Layberry (2015). Forty years later: distribution of the introduced Heath Snail, Xerolenta obvia, in Ontario, Canada (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hygromiidae). Check List 11(4): 1711.
6. Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment. American Malacological Bulletin 27: 113-132. PDF.
7. Heller J. (2001). Life History Strategies'.' in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, . 1-146, cited page: 428.