Virginia Land Snails

Photo(s): The shell of Mesomphix inornatus is a bit flatter than M. perlaevis. Image by Dan Dourson ©.

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Mesomphix inornatus (Say, 1821)

Family: Zonitidae
Common name: Plain Button

Identification
Width: 16.6 - 21 mm
Height: 8.4 - 11 mm
Whorls: 4+

The shell of Mesomphix inornatus is slightly glossy with a golden brownish or almost tan color and little obvious sculpture. However, magnification reveals minute papillae in neat rows and columns. The shell is somewhat flattened and has a thin lip and a tiny umbilicus. The last whorl is very large, about double the size of the one before it, making the aperture relatively large. The animal is gray, darker on the back.

Ecology
This animal lives in upland forests under leaves and dead wood (e.g. Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Synonyms for M. inornatus are Helix inornata, Mesomphix inornata, Omphalina inornata, and Zonites inornatus.

Distribution
The range of M. inornatus is inland from western Tennessee north to New York and central Vermont.  Virginia it is mainly found in the western mountain counties.

NatureServe Global Rank: G5
NatureServe State Rank: S4

 

Ken Hotopp, Greg Kimber 7/2012

 

Range Map