Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): Wikipedia image by Tim Ross ©.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Lobosculum pustuloides (Bland, 1858)

Family: Polygyridae
Common name: Tiny Liptooth

Identification
Width:  5.0-5.5 mm
Height: 2.5-2.7 mm
Whorls: 4-5

The shell of Lobosculum pustuloides is heliciform with a heavily-guarded aperture. The apex is low and the umbilicus is large and open. The denticles in the aperture are three: a blade-like parietal tooth, a pointed basal tooth upon a buttress, and a palatal lamella with a tooth upon the lower end. The effect is that of a notch in the outer lip. Sparse “hairs” adorn the periostracum.

Ecology
This animal lives among leaf litter, logs, or rocks in calcium-rich habitats (Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Synonyms for L. pustuloides are Polygyra pustuloides, Helix pustula, H. pustuloides, P. pustuloides.

Distribution
Lobosculum pustuloides is a Southeastern native, found from Florida and Mississippi, north to Kentucky and Virginia. In Virginia, specimens are reported only for Tazewell and Pittsylvania Counties.

NatureServe Global Rank: G2
NatureServe State Rank: S2S4
Virginia’s wildlife action plan: Tier III

 

Ken Hotopp 3/2013

Range Map