Powelliphanta gilliesi

Powelliphanta gilliesi, one of the "amber snails", is a species of large, carnivorous land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Rhytididae.

Powelliphanta gilliesi
Holotype of Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax from the Auckland War Memorial Museum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Rhytididae
Genus: Powelliphanta
Species:
P. gilliesi
Binomial name
Powelliphanta gilliesi
Synonyms

Paryphanta gilliesi Smith, 1880

Distribution edit

This species is endemic to the West Nelson area of the South Island of New Zealand.

There are nine subspecies,[2] some of which are listed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation:[3]

  • Powelliphanta gilliesi aurea Powell, 1946
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi brunnea Powell, 1938
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi compta Powell, 1930Nationally Vulnerable
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax Powell, 1930National Decline
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi gilliesi Smith, 1880
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi jamesoni Powell, 1936
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi kahurangica Powell, 1936
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi montana Powell, 1936
  • Powelliphanta gilliesi subfusca Powell, 1930Gradual Decline

Life cycle edit

The eggs of this species are oval in shape and are seldom constant in dimensions, varying from 9 by 8 millimetres (0.35 in × 0.31 in), to 9.75 by 8 millimetres (0.384 in × 0.315 in), and 10 by 8 millimetres (0.39 in × 0.31 in).[4]

References edit

  1. ^ Mollusc Specialist Group (1996). "Paryphanta gilliesi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T16402A5702524. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T16402A5702524.en. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. ^ Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
  3. ^ "New Zealand Threat Classification System lists - 2002 - Terrestial [sic] invertebrate - part one". New Zealand Department of Conservation. 2002. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  4. ^ O'Connor A. C. (June) 1945. Notes on the Eggs of New Zealand Paryphantidae, With Description of a New Subgenus. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, volume 5, 1945-46, pages 54-57.