Cernuella is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae,[2] the hairy snails and their allies.[3]

Cernuella
Cernuella virgata aestivating on a fence in Provence.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Stylommatophora
Family: Geomitridae
Subfamily: Helicellinae
Tribe: Cernuellini
Genus: Cernuella
Schlüter, 1838[1]
Type species
Cochlea virgata Da Costa, 1778
Synonyms
  • Cernuella (Cernuella) Schlüter, 1838· accepted, alternate representation
  • Cernuella (Xeroamanda) Monterosato, 1892· accepted, alternate representation
  • Cernuella (Xerocincta) Monterosato, 1892· accepted, alternate representation
  • Xeroampulla Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerocincta Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerofusca Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerolauta Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerolena Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerolissa Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerolutea Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerotropis Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerovaria Monterosato, 1892
  • Xerovera Monterosato, 1892

The native range of the genus is primarily Mediterranean.

Some species such as Cernuella virgata have become significant invasive species, agricultural pests, in parts of Australia.[4]

This same species of the genus has been recovered in archaeological excavations from the Roman Empire occupation of Volubilis, an ancient habitation site in present-day Morocco.[5]

Cernuella snails create and use love darts as part of their courtship and mating behavior.

Species

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Species within the genus Cernuella include:

Synonyms
  • Cernuella dobrogica Grossu, 1983: synonym of Cernuella cisalpina (Rossmässler, 1837) (junior synonym)
  • Cernuella metabola (Westerlund, 1889): synonym of Theba pisana (O. F. Müller, 1774) (junior synonym)
  • Cernuella zilchi Brandt, 1959: synonym of Alteniella zilchi (Brandt, 1959) (original

References

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  1. ^ Schlüter F. 1838. Kurzgefasstes systematisches Verzeichniss meiner Conchyliensammlung, nebst Andeutung aller bis jetzt von mir bei Halle gefundenen Land- und Flussconchylien. - pp. I-VII [= 1-7], 1-40. Halle. (Gebauer).
  2. ^ Razkin, Oihana; Gómez-Moliner, Benjamín Juán; Prieto, Carlos Enrique; Martínez-Ortí, Alberto; Arrébola, José Ramón; Muñoz, Benito; Chueca, Luis Javier; Madeira, María José (February 2015). "Molecular phylogeny of the western Palaearctic Helicoidea (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 83: 99–117. Bibcode:2015MolPE..83...99R. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.11.014. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 25485783.
  3. ^ MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Cernuella Schlüter, 1838. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=426368 on 2020-08-04
  4. ^ Barker, G. M. 2004. Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. CABI Publishing, 644 pp., ISBN 0-85199-319-2.
  5. ^ Hogan, C.M. 2007. Volubilis. The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham.
  6. ^ Pace, Carmelo (2007). "Il-Bebbus [The Snails]" (PDF). L-Imnara (in Maltese). 4 (31): 191.
  • Monterosato, T. A. di. (1892). Molluschi terrestri delle isole adiacenti alla Sicilia. Atti della Reale Accademia di Scienze, Lettere e Belle Arti di Palermo, Terza Serie. 3 (2): 1-34. Palermo.
  • Bank, R. A. (2017). Classification of the Recent terrestrial Gastropoda of the World. Last update: July 16, 2017.
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