Powelliphanta superba is a species of large, carnivorous land snail in the family Rhytididae, which is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. Five subspecies are recognised,[1] all of which are classified by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as being Nationally Endangered.[2]
| Powelliphanta superba | |
|---|---|
| |
| Powelliphana superba superba in its native habitat | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Rhytididae |
| Genus: | Powelliphanta |
| Species: | P. superba
|
| Binomial name | |
| Powelliphanta superba Powell, 1930
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Paryphanta superba (Powell, 1930) | |
Taxonomy
editPowelliphanta superba was originally described as Paryphanta superba by Arthur William Baden Powell in 1930.[3] The paratype specimens are located at Auckland War Memorial Museum.[3]
There are five subspecies of P. superba:
- Powelliphanta superba harveyi
- Powelliphanta superba mouatae
- Powelliphanta superba prouseorum
- Powelliphanta superba richardsoni
- Powelliphanta superba superba
Description
edit
The eggs are oval and seldom constant in dimensions 14 by 12 millimetres (0.55 in × 0.47 in).[4]
Conservation status
editEach of the five subspecies are listed as Threatened under the most recent assessment (2007) of the New Zealand Threatened Classification for Powelliphanta.[5][6] Four are listed as Nationally Endangered, while P. superba superba is listed as Serious Decline.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 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 - Terrestrial invertebrate - part one". New Zealand Department of Conservation. 2002. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Powell, A. W. B. (1930). "The Paryphantidae of New Zealand: their Hypothetical Ancestry, with descriptions of New Species and a New Genus". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 1: 17–56. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42905933. Wikidata Q58676532.
- ^ A. C. O'Connor (1945). "Notes on the eggs of New Zealand Paryphantidae, with description of a new subgenus". Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 5: 54–57.
- ^ a b "NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
- ^ a b "New Zealand Threat Classification System Database". www.wikidata.org. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
External links
edit- Powelliphanta superba discussed on RNZ Critter of the Week, 26 January 2024
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