apr 2010
Biodiversity salvaging
30-04-2010 11:13
A while ago I read Bob Mesibov’s blog on biodiversity salvage. Like myself, you might not have heard about it. Bob introduces the topic as follows:
There's a biodiversity crisis. Species are disappearing all over the Earth, and for a lot of different reasons: habitat loss, climate change, competition with invasive species, etc. No amount of protesting or political lobbying is going to stop this loss. What to do?
Most people would answer, "Save what we can." I agree, and I support all the biologists and others who are working to create more nature reserves, get better off-reserve conservation, reduce pollution, fight introduced species, etc etc.
But what about the losers? What about the species, communities and genetic variations that we're losing now, and will be losing in coming years?
An appropriate and responsible strategy is to salvage what we can as specimens for museums and herbaria, and as genetic material in genebanks. Biodiversity salvage of this kind has a couple of things going for it that some other conservation strategies don't. In the first place, all the necessary methods are already well-known and well-used, and the necessary infrastructure (museums, herbaria, genebanks) already exists.
Second, although salvagers might disagree on what needs salvaging first (which microbes, plants or animals), there's not much doubt about where to start salvaging. The places where biodiversity is vanishing fastest are obvious on a global scale on satellite images. On a local scale, prioritising salvage spots is very simple: go first to those habitats which are about to be destroyed, which are furthest from protected areas and which are furthest from previous biological sampling.
The aim of biodiversity salvage is not to create Noah's Arks. That's what reserves do, and zoos and botanical gardens. Biodiversity salvage is more like the archaeological surveys that are done in old cities before a new road or building is constructed. The aim is not to stop the development, but simply to recover some of the historical heritage before it’s destroyed. The aim of biodiversity salvage is not to stop the new farm, housing estate, industrial site or ocean outfall, but simply to recover some of Earth's natural heritage before it disappears.
I was a bit surprised that biodiversity salvaging is apparently not a subject which has been covered many times in academic literature. Bob cites only two papers, one by himself (2004) and one by Spencer (1921), another Australian. Is this a topic only of importance to Australians? Has nobody elsewhere ever thought of it? Or simply not put their ideas and experiences on paper?
After having summarized three different ways of common sampling, he defines salvage sampling as:
Salvage sampling is different from the above. It's done in a place which is on the To Be Destroyed list, or on the list of places which are Largely Destroyed And Someone Is Coming Next Week To Finish The Job. It might be a remnant of native grassland on a pastoral property which has just been bought by a cropping company or by plantation foresters. It might be an unappealing patch of scrub on the edge of town, now for sale in a booming real estate market. It might be the last forested ridge in a subtropical landscape under pressure from slash-and-burn cash-croppers.
The aim of salvage sampling is to get into museums, herbaria and genebanks whatever is about to be lost. And there will be loss. Biodiversity varies at all spatial scales. No two places have the same biota, and for many groups of organisms, every place has genetically unique forms. In landscapes largely converted from their pre-human condition, the chances are good that salvage sites will have species found nowhere else.
Finding and documenting these before they disappear is the job of biodiversity salvage.
While his examples are centered on Australian millipedes, I’m sure that the same approach is useful for other less vagile invertebrates like land snails. And the Neotropics, although partly less cultivated, might be an equally interesting ‘salvaging ground’.
PS: For those interested in practical examples of salvaging (including a GIS-based protocol), read Bob’s blogposts and updates in full.
A new record of Lissachatina in Ecuador
29-04-2010 20:33
Thanks to Adrián
González, it is now possible to document an
introduction of Lissachatina fulica
into an area hitherto
not affected by this species.
During a recent trip to the Chical-Quinyul area in Prov. Carchi, northern Ecuador, he found this specimen (see picture).
When he asked the owner of the locality where Adrián collected it, the guy told him that a while ago he brought about hundred plants from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (formerly known as Santo Domingo de los Colorados) in Prov. Pichincha. This is a known occurrence for Lissachatina fulica (see Correoso, 2010) and snails probably were transported as eggs or juveniles. The owner didn’t want to kill the snail (he wanted to keep it as a pet) nor to let Adrián scrutinize the property for more specimens.
It is expected that in this area an outbreak may occur in the (most likely) case that there is no further intervention by officials. As a consequence, the local snail fauna - with flourishing populations of Drymaeus - could be seriously affected. Monitoring of this new occurrence is thus highly recommended.
This case is also a clear illustration of a pathway described by Cowie & Robinson (2003) in general and Cowie et al. (2008) for the horticultural industry.
References:
Cowie, R.H. & Robinson, D.G., 2003. Pathways of introduction of nonindigenous land and freshwater snails and slugs. In Ruiz, G. & Carlton, J.T. (Eds.), Invasive species: vectors and management strategies. Washington DC: Island Press: 93-122.
Cowie, R.H., Hayes, K.H., Tran, C.T. & Meyer, W.M., 2008. The horticultural industry as a vector of alien snails and slugs: widespread invasions in Hawaii. - International Journal of Pest Management 54: 267-276.
During a recent trip to the Chical-Quinyul area in Prov. Carchi, northern Ecuador, he found this specimen (see picture).
When he asked the owner of the locality where Adrián collected it, the guy told him that a while ago he brought about hundred plants from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (formerly known as Santo Domingo de los Colorados) in Prov. Pichincha. This is a known occurrence for Lissachatina fulica (see Correoso, 2010) and snails probably were transported as eggs or juveniles. The owner didn’t want to kill the snail (he wanted to keep it as a pet) nor to let Adrián scrutinize the property for more specimens.
It is expected that in this area an outbreak may occur in the (most likely) case that there is no further intervention by officials. As a consequence, the local snail fauna - with flourishing populations of Drymaeus - could be seriously affected. Monitoring of this new occurrence is thus highly recommended.
This case is also a clear illustration of a pathway described by Cowie & Robinson (2003) in general and Cowie et al. (2008) for the horticultural industry.
References:
Cowie, R.H. & Robinson, D.G., 2003. Pathways of introduction of nonindigenous land and freshwater snails and slugs. In Ruiz, G. & Carlton, J.T. (Eds.), Invasive species: vectors and management strategies. Washington DC: Island Press: 93-122.
Cowie, R.H., Hayes, K.H., Tran, C.T. & Meyer, W.M., 2008. The horticultural industry as a vector of alien snails and slugs: widespread invasions in Hawaii. - International Journal of Pest Management 54: 267-276.
Unknown helicinids and cyclophorids
28-04-2010 09:06
Cyclophoridae and
Helicinidae are notorious difficult groups and beyond
my own focus of specialization. I recently received
some pictures of helicinids, one live specimen and
one of a shell only, plus some pictures of live
cyclophorids. Just sharing these pictures with you;
if someone has a name, let me know.
The first helicinid is from Adrián González and was found during a recent trip to the cloud forest in Junín area in Prov. Imbabura, Ecuador. It is as Bourciera helicinaeformis Pfeiffer, 1851 mentioned in literature.
The second species was collected by Raúl Zea in Colombia, Cundinamarca, near Soacha.
He also sent me this picture of a Neocyclotus (?), which was collected by Gilman Santander near Armenía, Quindío, Colombia.
Finally, Adrián González sent me pictures of a similar (but distinct) species, found near Tembor, Chical area, northern Ecuador at 1700 m.
The first helicinid is from Adrián González and was found during a recent trip to the cloud forest in Junín area in Prov. Imbabura, Ecuador. It is as Bourciera helicinaeformis Pfeiffer, 1851 mentioned in literature.
The second species was collected by Raúl Zea in Colombia, Cundinamarca, near Soacha.
He also sent me this picture of a Neocyclotus (?), which was collected by Gilman Santander near Armenía, Quindío, Colombia.
Finally, Adrián González sent me pictures of a similar (but distinct) species, found near Tembor, Chical area, northern Ecuador at 1700 m.
Photo of the day (94): Synapterpes
27-04-2010 20:41
Amoung the photographs
that I recently received from Adrián González are
some of a Synapterpes
species. As far as I
could ascertain it is S. bicingulatus
Fulton, 1908.
The pictures were taken in Ecuador, prov. Imbabura, Junín area.
The pictures were taken in Ecuador, prov. Imbabura, Junín area.
Photo of the day (93): Plekocheilus
26-04-2010 16:29
The photo of the day is
today not of a live snail. Instead it is an
interesting find from the Leiden collection that I
recently did.
This shell was collected by Otto Huber in Venezuela, Edo. Bolívar, Sierra de Guanay, Cedenho. This locality is at 1670 m and thus in highland according to the definition by Huber (1995).
The shell definitely belongs to Plekocheilus (Eurytus). However, the bleached stage of this specimen doesn’t allow me to be conclusive about its name. I have compared it to several other species and it is different to anything else. But its condition is too bad to say more than Plekocheilus (Eurytus) n. sp.
It is an addition to my papers on the malacofauna of southern Venezuela (Breure, 2009; Breure & Schlögl, 2010).
References:
Breure, A.S.H., 2009. New Orthalicidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Venezuelan Guayana: unravelling secrets from the Lost World. - Zootaxa 2065: 26-50.
Breure, A.S.H. & Schlögl, J., 2010. Additional notes on Orthalicidae from the Chimantá massif, Venezuelan Guayana, with descriptions of new species of Plekocheilus Guilding, 1828 (Mollusca: Gastropoda). - Zootaxa 2416: 51-60.
Huber, O., 1995. Geographical and physical features. In: Berry, P.E., Holst, B.K. & Yatskievych, K. (eds.), Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. I. Introduction: 63-95. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
This shell was collected by Otto Huber in Venezuela, Edo. Bolívar, Sierra de Guanay, Cedenho. This locality is at 1670 m and thus in highland according to the definition by Huber (1995).
The shell definitely belongs to Plekocheilus (Eurytus). However, the bleached stage of this specimen doesn’t allow me to be conclusive about its name. I have compared it to several other species and it is different to anything else. But its condition is too bad to say more than Plekocheilus (Eurytus) n. sp.
It is an addition to my papers on the malacofauna of southern Venezuela (Breure, 2009; Breure & Schlögl, 2010).
References:
Breure, A.S.H., 2009. New Orthalicidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Venezuelan Guayana: unravelling secrets from the Lost World. - Zootaxa 2065: 26-50.
Breure, A.S.H. & Schlögl, J., 2010. Additional notes on Orthalicidae from the Chimantá massif, Venezuelan Guayana, with descriptions of new species of Plekocheilus Guilding, 1828 (Mollusca: Gastropoda). - Zootaxa 2416: 51-60.
Huber, O., 1995. Geographical and physical features. In: Berry, P.E., Holst, B.K. & Yatskievych, K. (eds.), Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. I. Introduction: 63-95. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
...and in Florida
23-04-2010 19:26
Lissachatina
fulica hit
the press also in Florida. David Robinson sent me a
link to the following newspaper:
The USDA found out because some people ended up in hospital, one of them with suspected cerebral angiostrongyliasis, after they had been fed with liquid from live snails. This was done during a African religious cult meeting.
“Always drama!” David said and right he is when it comes to this species.
The USDA found out because some people ended up in hospital, one of them with suspected cerebral angiostrongyliasis, after they had been fed with liquid from live snails. This was done during a African religious cult meeting.
“Always drama!” David said and right he is when it comes to this species.
More on Lissachatina in Ecuador
22-04-2010 20:02
Previously reports on
the occurrence of Lissachatina fulica in Ecuador were
based on a few observations and the assumption that
this species was far more spread into the country.
This assumption is now supported by new records which
have been documented by Modest Correoso (Correoso,
2010).
The localities are all on the western side of the Andes. Some of them were found in protected areas, like this picture documents.
In his paper, Correoso has also made a modelling of the potential distribution based on the known occurrences and SDM software.
Reference:
Correoso, M., 2009 [2010]. Modelación y distribución de Lissachatina fulica (Gastropoda, Achatinidae) en Ecuador. Potenciales impactos ambietales y sanitarios. - Revista Geospacial, Quito, Nov. 2009: 79-90.
The localities are all on the western side of the Andes. Some of them were found in protected areas, like this picture documents.
In his paper, Correoso has also made a modelling of the potential distribution based on the known occurrences and SDM software.
Reference:
Correoso, M., 2009 [2010]. Modelación y distribución de Lissachatina fulica (Gastropoda, Achatinidae) en Ecuador. Potenciales impactos ambietales y sanitarios. - Revista Geospacial, Quito, Nov. 2009: 79-90.
New taxa (22): Annulariidae
21-04-2010 17:03
In 2006, Thomas Watters
published an impressive book on the land snail family
Annulariidae (Watters, 2006). He just published a
paper (Watters & Duffy, 2010) with ten new
species and a new taxonomic placement for the
genus Chrondropomella.
Except for one taxon that was discovered on the
Bahamas, all other new species were found in the
Dominican Republic. Many of them occur on the
Barahona Peninsula in the western part of the
country, where also other
interesting endemics may be found.
References:
Watters, G.T., 2006. The Caribbean land snail family Annulariidae: a revision of the higher taxa and a catalog of the species: 1-557, appendix: 1-3. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Watters, G.T. & Duffy, G., 2010. New species of Annulariidae (Gastropoda) from the Bahamas and Dominican Republic. - Novapex 11: 1-12.
References:
Watters, G.T., 2006. The Caribbean land snail family Annulariidae: a revision of the higher taxa and a catalog of the species: 1-557, appendix: 1-3. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.
Watters, G.T. & Duffy, G., 2010. New species of Annulariidae (Gastropoda) from the Bahamas and Dominican Republic. - Novapex 11: 1-12.
New taxa (21): species from Central America
20-04-2010 08:23
In a recent paper, Fred
Thompson highlights some Spiraxidae from Costa Rica
and Panama. The subfamilies within this group and
four genera are redescribed; two species are
described as new taxa. New distribution records from
both countries.
The first one is Rectaxis pagodus Thompson, 2010, from La Lola Agricultural station, west of Limón, Costa Rica. Holotype UF 80942. Fig. 1. Scale line = 1 mm.
The second new species is Volutaxis (Volutaxis) eburneus Thompson, 2010. Type locality: Costa Rica, prov. Limón, La Estrella, Hitoy Cerera Biological Reserve. Holotype UF 215409. Fig. 4.
Reference:
Thompson, F.G., 2010. Four species of land snails from Costa Rica and Panama (Pulmonata: Spiraxidae). - Revista de Biología Tropical 58 (1): 195-202.
The first one is Rectaxis pagodus Thompson, 2010, from La Lola Agricultural station, west of Limón, Costa Rica. Holotype UF 80942. Fig. 1. Scale line = 1 mm.
The second new species is Volutaxis (Volutaxis) eburneus Thompson, 2010. Type locality: Costa Rica, prov. Limón, La Estrella, Hitoy Cerera Biological Reserve. Holotype UF 215409. Fig. 4.
Reference:
Thompson, F.G., 2010. Four species of land snails from Costa Rica and Panama (Pulmonata: Spiraxidae). - Revista de Biología Tropical 58 (1): 195-202.
Photo of the day (92): Porphyrobaphe
19-04-2010 20:11
Adrián González keeps
surprising me with beautiful pictures of living
snails. He recently visited prov. Manabí in western
Ecuador. In the coastal hills near Salango he found
living Porphyrobaphe
iostoma (Sowerby, 1824).
Interesting enough, he reports the same species from Isla Salango, 1 km off the coast. Here Adrián found a population with both the typical purple lip and a variety with a pinkish lip.
Thanks Adrián! Keep up the good work.
Interesting enough, he reports the same species from Isla Salango, 1 km off the coast. Here Adrián found a population with both the typical purple lip and a variety with a pinkish lip.
Thanks Adrián! Keep up the good work.
malacophilately
16-04-2010 09:31
As a youngster I
collected stamps, which did many boys at that time.
It was typically a hobby for boys and men; never saw
a women doing that. The Amsterdam Group of
Malacologists still has in its journal
De
Kreukel a
regular item on shells on stamps. Malacophilately. I
suppose collecting is the common denominator.
Nowadays, collecting is only for older men and
youngsters have different interests. The average age
of members of malacological societies is rising each
year.
The majority of shells on stamps are marine shells. They strike the eyes. Landsnails are underrepresented, and Neotropical landsnails are hardly figured on stamps.
Recently, Cuba issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 150th birthday of Dr Carlos de la Torre. Polymita picta and Liguus fasciatus are both shown in this series.
The majority of shells on stamps are marine shells. They strike the eyes. Landsnails are underrepresented, and Neotropical landsnails are hardly figured on stamps.
Recently, Cuba issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 150th birthday of Dr Carlos de la Torre. Polymita picta and Liguus fasciatus are both shown in this series.
Argentinan field work (2)
14-04-2010 21:57
The second day we went
to an area north of Tucumán, where the vegetation
consists of dry ‘chaco’, with scattered
Opuntia. When undisturbed, these can be
really tree-like.
We found empty shells of Drymaeus poecilus (d’Orbigny, 1835) and Spixia tucumanensis Parodiz, 1941.
As the Spixia lives between the roots of the spiny Opuntia, it is really recommendable to have gloves and a little scoop to unearth them. Otherwise you will end up with your hands full of spines...
We found empty shells of Drymaeus poecilus (d’Orbigny, 1835) and Spixia tucumanensis Parodiz, 1941.
As the Spixia lives between the roots of the spiny Opuntia, it is really recommendable to have gloves and a little scoop to unearth them. Otherwise you will end up with your hands full of spines...
Argentinan fieldwork
13-04-2010 21:09
During my recent trip
in South America, I did some field work during the
weekend that I stayed in Tucumán. Gabriela Cuezzo and
her husband took me up the hill west of the city, in
a Biological Reserve (frequently visited by hikers
during the weekends).
The vegetation is here a lushly ‘yungas’.
We found several species, of which the first one was on special request of one of our students, Adelopoma tucma Döring, 1884, for her phylogenetic research. It was living under pieces of wood, in leaf litter.
The second one is Scutalus (Kuschelenia) tupacii (d’Orbigny, 1835). This is a common species in this area and we found also two engaged in some love-making (but not copulating yet).
A somewhat rarer find was Epiphragmophora tucumanensis (Döring, 1876). This snail was climbing on a mossy side of the path when it was caught.
Finally, there is this huge slug (a Veronicellid). The taxonomy of this group is quite puzzling.
It was a good day of snail hunting :-)
The vegetation is here a lushly ‘yungas’.
We found several species, of which the first one was on special request of one of our students, Adelopoma tucma Döring, 1884, for her phylogenetic research. It was living under pieces of wood, in leaf litter.
The second one is Scutalus (Kuschelenia) tupacii (d’Orbigny, 1835). This is a common species in this area and we found also two engaged in some love-making (but not copulating yet).
A somewhat rarer find was Epiphragmophora tucumanensis (Döring, 1876). This snail was climbing on a mossy side of the path when it was caught.
Finally, there is this huge slug (a Veronicellid). The taxonomy of this group is quite puzzling.
It was a good day of snail hunting :-)
Photo of the day (91): Plekocheilus
12-04-2010 21:19
This is a picture of
what appears like a subadult Plekocheilus
(Eurytus) cf. taylorianus
(Reeve, 1849).
The picture was taken by Adrián González in Prov. Imbabura, Chontal Alto region, in cloud forest.
The picture was taken by Adrián González in Prov. Imbabura, Chontal Alto region, in cloud forest.
Species list Santa Catarina
09-04-2010 17:27
A new list on the
non-marine molluscs found in Santa Catarina State in
southern Brazil has been published (Agudo, 2010). The
list totals 160 taxa (species and subspecies) and is
available here.
Reference:
Agudo-Padrón, A.I., 2008 [2010]. Listagem sistemática dos moluscos continentais ocorrentes no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil. - Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay 9: 147-179.
Reference:
Agudo-Padrón, A.I., 2008 [2010]. Listagem sistemática dos moluscos continentais ocorrentes no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil. - Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay 9: 147-179.
Photo of the day (90): Solaropsis
08-04-2010 14:58
Adrián González kindly
forwarded me a photograph from a Solaropsis
species. I think it
is S. cf.
solenostoma (Pfeiffer, 1852). The picture was
made by Jaime Buestán in Ecuador, Prov. Guayas,
Bucay, humid forests near río Limón, 850 m.
Interestingly, Adrián found the same species recently in Prov. Imbabura, Sanguagal, 600 m and in cold cloud forest at 1500 m in the Chontal Alto area in the same province.
Interestingly, Adrián found the same species recently in Prov. Imbabura, Sanguagal, 600 m and in cold cloud forest at 1500 m in the Chontal Alto area in the same province.
New taxa (20): Olympus
07-04-2010 20:30
Recently, Luiz Simone
published a paper on a new genus and species from the
tepui area in the Brazilian/Venezuelan border
(Simone, 2010). It is called Olympus nimbus
gen.n. sp.n. and placed
by him in the Camaenidae. The type locality is
Brazil, Amazonas, São Gabriel de Cachoeira, Pico da
Neblina, 100m. Holotype MZSP 87151.
This locality is in lowland at the base of the tepui on the Brazilian-Venezuelan border, Pico da Neblina = Cerro de Neblina. See also here and here (including links) for species from higher elevations in the same area.
The paper contains a very detailed description of the anatomy, very well illustrated with precise drawings. It is a masterpiece of morphological work.
Olympus is said to be closely related to Solaropsis, a Camaenid genus that is considered by Cuezzo (2003) to be part of the Caracolinae and by Schieleyko (2006) considered as Pleurodontidae. The taxonomy of the Neotropical “Camaenidae” is thus in disorder when only morphological and anatomical characters are used. Perhaps that additional molecular data (cf. Wade et al, 2007) may shed light on this controversy. Until then, I prefer to group the Neotropical genera as Pleurodontidae.
References:
Cuezzo, M.G., 2003. Phylogenetic analysis of the Camaenidae (Mollusca: Stylommatophora) with special emphasis on the American taxa. — Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138: 449-476.
Schileyko, A., 2006. Treatise on Recent terrestrial pulmonate molluscs, 13. Helicidae, Pleurodontidae, Polygyridae, Ammonitellidae, Oreohelicidae, Thysanophoridae. — Ruthenica, Supplement 2: 1795-1906.
Simone, L.R.L., 2010. A new genus and species of Camaenid from the Amazon rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Helicoidea). — Journal of Conchology 40: 149-161.
Wade, C.M., C. Hudelot, A. Davison, F. Naggs & P.B. Mordan, 2007. Molecular phylogeny of the helicoid land snails (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea), with special emphasis on the Camaenidae. — Journal of Molluscan Studies 73: 411-415.
This locality is in lowland at the base of the tepui on the Brazilian-Venezuelan border, Pico da Neblina = Cerro de Neblina. See also here and here (including links) for species from higher elevations in the same area.
The paper contains a very detailed description of the anatomy, very well illustrated with precise drawings. It is a masterpiece of morphological work.
Olympus is said to be closely related to Solaropsis, a Camaenid genus that is considered by Cuezzo (2003) to be part of the Caracolinae and by Schieleyko (2006) considered as Pleurodontidae. The taxonomy of the Neotropical “Camaenidae” is thus in disorder when only morphological and anatomical characters are used. Perhaps that additional molecular data (cf. Wade et al, 2007) may shed light on this controversy. Until then, I prefer to group the Neotropical genera as Pleurodontidae.
References:
Cuezzo, M.G., 2003. Phylogenetic analysis of the Camaenidae (Mollusca: Stylommatophora) with special emphasis on the American taxa. — Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 138: 449-476.
Schileyko, A., 2006. Treatise on Recent terrestrial pulmonate molluscs, 13. Helicidae, Pleurodontidae, Polygyridae, Ammonitellidae, Oreohelicidae, Thysanophoridae. — Ruthenica, Supplement 2: 1795-1906.
Simone, L.R.L., 2010. A new genus and species of Camaenid from the Amazon rainforest, Brazil (Pulmonata, Helicoidea). — Journal of Conchology 40: 149-161.
Wade, C.M., C. Hudelot, A. Davison, F. Naggs & P.B. Mordan, 2007. Molecular phylogeny of the helicoid land snails (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicoidea), with special emphasis on the Camaenidae. — Journal of Molluscan Studies 73: 411-415.
Introduction to Taxonomy
06-04-2010 21:23
For those of you not
familiar with the essentials of taxonomy (is there
anyone out there?), see the new presentation of
BIONET here.
Photo of the day (89): Drymaeus
06-04-2010 20:14
Today two photographs
of Drymaeus
serratus (Pfeiffer, 1855). Both pictures
were taken by Valentín Mogollón during a recent trip
to Tingo María in eastern Peru.
Photo of the day (88): Simpulopsis
02-04-2010 13:44
The same species that
is shown in the previous
post in
this series, Simpulopsis
citrinovitrea (Moricand, 1836) is here
depictured from two other localities.
The first one is from Ecuador, Pichincha, Mindo.
The second series was taken in Colombia, Riseralda, region of Otun-Quimbaya.
All pictures were sent to me by Francisco Borrero.
The first one is from Ecuador, Pichincha, Mindo.
The second series was taken in Colombia, Riseralda, region of Otun-Quimbaya.
All pictures were sent to me by Francisco Borrero.
New paper published
01-04-2010 19:33
Small Mexican families
01-04-2010 19:27
In the most recent
number of the American Malacological Bulletin a
series of papers was published as a result of the AMS
2008 Leslie Hubricht symnposium on land snails. One
of these papers is by Naranjo-García & Fehy
(2010).
In this paper they discuss the distribution of the lesser represented land snail families in Mexico, based on literature and unpublished data. This concerns only families represented with less than 30 species in the country; in total 34 families.
For a number of families they give distribution maps of species or compiled data at generic level. The current status is discussed of each family. In the discussion distribution patterns are discussed. In the conclusions several states within Mexico are mentioned which are under-sampled.
Despite a vast base of records, lots of work remains to be done by those Neotropical snail lovers residing or visiting Mexico.
Reference:
Naranjo-García, E. & Fehy, N.E., 2010. The lesser families of Mexican terrestrial mollusks. - American Malacological Bulletin 28: 59-80.
In this paper they discuss the distribution of the lesser represented land snail families in Mexico, based on literature and unpublished data. This concerns only families represented with less than 30 species in the country; in total 34 families.
For a number of families they give distribution maps of species or compiled data at generic level. The current status is discussed of each family. In the discussion distribution patterns are discussed. In the conclusions several states within Mexico are mentioned which are under-sampled.
Despite a vast base of records, lots of work remains to be done by those Neotropical snail lovers residing or visiting Mexico.
Reference:
Naranjo-García, E. & Fehy, N.E., 2010. The lesser families of Mexican terrestrial mollusks. - American Malacological Bulletin 28: 59-80.