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 | |
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Holotype of Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax from the Auckland War Memorial Museum | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Family: | Rhytididae |
Genus: | Powelliphanta |
Species: | P. gilliesi
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Binomial name | |
Powelliphanta gilliesi E. A. Smith, 1880
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Synonyms | |
Paryphanta gilliesi Smith, 1880 |
Distribution
editThis 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, 1930 – Nationally Vulnerable
- Powelliphanta gilliesi fallax Powell, 1930 – National 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, 1930 – Gradual Decline
Life cycle
editThe 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- ^ 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.
- ^ Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- ^ "New Zealand Threat Classification System lists - 2002 - Terrestial [sic] invertebrate - part one". New Zealand Department of Conservation. 2002. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ 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.