Pseudosuccinea columella is native to North America.[5] and Europe.[6] The indigenous distribution of Pseudosuccinea columella reaches from New Brunswick and south Manitoba throughout the eastern US to Central and South America.[7]
The shell quite closely resembles shells in the genus Succinea, which belongs to a different family.
The shell of Pseudosuccinea columella is horny brown, thin, translucent, fragile and very finely striated. The apex is pointed. The shell has 3.5–4 weakly convex whorls with a shallow suture. The last whorl predominates. The aperture is ovate. The upper palatal margin descends steeply. The columellar margin is reflected only at its upper section; the lower columellar margin sharp and straight.[7]
The width of the shell is 8–13 mm. The height of the shell is 15–20 mm.[7]
The animal is dusky with whitish spots. The eyes are small and black and are located at the inner base of the tentacles.[7]
The haploid number of chromosomes is 18 (n=18).[17]
Habitat
In North America, Pseudosuccinea columella lives in stagnant waters, at the edges of lakes, ponds, muddy and sluggish streams, among lily pads and reeds on sticks and mud.[7]
In Europe it occurs predominantly in greenhouses, but also sometimes in outdoor habitats (Austria, Hungary).[7] It needs warm water and does not survive Central European winter temperatures.[7] It is also found above the water on floating leaves of aquatic plants; in northern Greece it was found in a spring near a road.[7]
Parasites
Parasites of Pseudosuccinea columella include:
In North America, Pseudosuccinea columella is major intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica.[4][18]
^Bargues M. D., Artigas P., Khoubbane M. & Mas-Coma S. (2011). "DNA sequence characterisation and phylogeography of Lymnaea cousini and related species, vectors of fascioliasis in northern Andean countries, with description of L. meridensis n. sp. (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae)". Parasites & Vectors4: 132. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-4-132.
^ abTorgerson P. & Claxton J. (1999). "Epidemiology and Control". In: Dalton J. P. (ed.) "Fasciolosis". CAB International, Wallingford, pp. 113–149.
^ abe., R. (2002). "Molecular phylogenetic relationships in the aquatic snail genus Lymnaea , the intermediate host of the causative agent of fascioliasis: Insights from broader taxon sampling". Parasitology Research. 88 (7): 687–696. doi:10.1007/s00436-002-0658-8. PMID12107463. S2CID20009582.
^ abcdefghiPointier, J. P.; Coustau, C.; Rondelaud, D.; Theron, A. (2007). "Pseudosuccinea columella (Say 1817) (Gastropoda, Lymnaeidae), snail host of Fasciola hepatica: First record for France in the wild". Parasitology Research. 101 (5): 1389–1392. doi:10.1007/s00436-007-0656-y. PMID17661191. S2CID481828.
^Agudo-Padrón A. I. (14 May 2009). "Recent Terrestrial and Freshwater Molluscs of Rio Grande do Sul State, RS, Southern Brazil Region: A Comprehensive Synthesis and Check List". Visaya April 2009, pages 1–13. PDFArchived 2012-11-05 at the Wayback Machine.
^Mudavanhu, A., Schols, R., Goossens, E. et al. One Health monitoring reveals invasive freshwater snail species, new records, and undescribed parasite diversity in Zimbabwe. Parasites Vectors 17, 234 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06307-4
^Schols, R., Carolus, H., Hammoud, C. et al. Invasive snails, parasite spillback, and potential parasite spillover drive parasitic diseases of Hippopotamus amphibius in artificial lakes of Zimbabwe. BMC Biol 19, 160 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01093-2
^(in Czech) Horsák M., Juřičková L., Beran L., Čejka T. & Dvořák L. (2010). "Komentovaný seznam měkkýšů zjištěných ve volné přírodě České a Slovenské republiky. [Annotated list of mollusc species recorded outdoors in the Czech and Slovak Republics]". Malacologica BohemoslovacaSuppl. 1: 1–37. PDF.
^Schols, R., Carolus, H., Hammoud, C. et al. Invasive snails, parasite spillback, and potential parasite spillover drive parasitic diseases of Hippopotamus amphibius in artificial lakes of Zimbabwe. BMC Biol 19, 160 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01093-2