Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): Vertigo milium shell by Jeff Nekola ©.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Vertigo milium (Gould, 1840)

Family: Vertiginidae
Common name: Blade Vertigo

Identification
Height: ~1.6 mm
Width: ~0.7 mm
Whorls: 4-5

This delicate species is characterized by its small shell size, ovate shape, shining luster, and its long, curved lower palatal lamella.

Ecology
Vertigo milium individuals are found in humid, well-decomposed thatch and leaf litter, across a wide variety of mesic to wet sites including rocky woodland, riparian woodland, cliffs, wet prairie, sedge meadows, roadside verges, fens, and swamps (Nekola & Coles, 2010).

Taxonomy
A synonym for this animal’s name is Pupa milium.

Distribution
This animal ranges from southeastern Arizona and west Texas, north to southern Manitoba, and east to the Florida Keys, Cape Cod, and easternmost Ontario (Nekola & Coles, 2010). It also extends south to Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Tampico, Mexico (Pilsbry, 1948). 

In Virginia Vertigo milium has been recovered in scattered locations across the state. It should be sought in particular from fens and seasonally wet limestone outcrops in the Shenandoah Valley and wetlands along the Atlantic seaboard.  The known Rockbridge County site is found on the naturally revegetated floor of a long-abandoned limestone quarry.

A synonym for this animal’s name is Pupa milium. 

NatureServe Global Rank: G5
NatureServe State Rank: S4

 

Jeff Nekola 9/2012

Range Map