|
Ovachlamys fulgens
Ovachlamys fulgens is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicarionidae. Ovachlamys fulgens was originally discovered and described as Macrochlamys fulgens by the British malacologist Gerard Pierre Laurent Kalshoven Gude in 1900.[1] DistributionThe type locality for this species is Ryukyu Islands (Loo-Choo Islands).[1] The type specimens are stored in the Florida Museum of Natural History.[2] The snail is thought to be originally from the Ryukyu Islands.[3] Ovachlamys fulgens has spread to various countries, most probably accidentally introduced with the orchid trade.[4] Non-indigenous distribution of Ovachlamys fulgens include: Americas:
Pacific: Several Southeast Asian countries: This species is already established in the US, and is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[7] Description The shell of this species is perforate, trochoid, thin, shining, pellucid and dark corneous,[1]with a depressed spire.[1] The apex is obtuse.[1] Sutures are linear and margined.[1] The shell has four whorls, that are increasing rather suddenly.[1] The last whorl is convex and a little inflated and it is twice as wide as the penultimate whorl.[1] Whorls are finely striated, decussated by microscopic spiral lines.[1] The last whorl is not descending and it is slightly excavated in the umbilical region.[1] The aperture is slightly oblique and lunate.[1] The peristome is thin, straight, and acute.[1] The margins of the aperture are distant and sub-parallel, and the columellar margin is a little reflected and nearly covering the very narrow umbilical perforation.[1] The width of the shell is 6–7 mm[1] and the height of the shell is 4,5 mm.[1] These snails are sometimes called "jumping snails" because the tail is modified with a caudal horn and the posterior part of the foot acts as a catapult to push off from contiguous substrates, allowing the snail to suddenly move several inches.[3]
EcologyThe habitats of Ovachlamys fulgens include pastures and crop fields with moisture and with deep leaf litter cover.[2] For example, habitats with Yucca guatemalensis provide good conditions for this species.[2] The snails are mostly found in soil litter and on plants up to 8 feet in height in areas of secondary growth and tree plantations.[3] The ideal collection time is after rainfall.[3] This species is considered an important orchid pest.[3] It is phytophagous[4] and is reported to attack a wide variety of horticultural plants, but the snails are mostly found among soil litter and become dormant during dry periods.[3] It has been found on avocado, mango, Heliconia and Dracaena.[3] Leaves of the avocado can be also used to raise juveniles in lab settings.[8] Little scientific data has been gathered on the biology of this species.[3] Individuals of Ovachlamys fulgens can lay eggs at the age of 42 days and are considered mature when their shell width reaches 5.12 mm.[8] There is no need for the snails to mate in order to lay eggs and for successful reproduction.[8] Eggs are laid in clutches of three in soil or leaf litter where they absorb more water from the environment.[8] The lifespan of Ovachlamys fulgens is 9 months in lab settings.[8] ParasitesParasites of Ovachlamys fulgens include Angiostrongylus cantonensis.[6] ReferencesThis article incorporates public domain text from the reference[1] and a public domain work of the United States Government from references.[3][4]
Further reading
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ovachlamys fulgens.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portal di Ensiklopedia Dunia
