Bulimulus
Bulimulus again
05-07-2010 21:58
This weekend Bill Frank
went to visit the new
locality NW Jacksonville, where Harry Lee
collected the “mysterious Bulimulus”.
Quoting from his report:
“Knowing that I was in the right place wasn't real helpful as I was initially unable to find any Bulimulus. Finally, I found one empty shell and spread out a search pattern from there. Finally I discovered the secret. There is one type of weed that grows in the roadside swale between the road and the ditch and it was under these patches of weeds that the Bulimulus were hiding. I found them nowhere else. It was kind of interesting as a small plant would have one live Bulimulus and a large plant would have 4-5. To say that the species is common is an understatement. I collected plenty (both live and empty shells) and could have collected a whole lot more if I had wanted them. All of those were from the swale which was mowed very close and recently. I can imagine that the nearby high growth weedy area is probably full of them. The only other mollusks I saw in this area were a very modest number of Polygyra cereolus.”
The locality is pictured to the north, and Bulimulus is on the left under the weeds.
When you look closely to the snails that Bill found, you will notice that some have the striped pattern, but others not. The latter thus resemble those from Duval County.
Thanks Bill for sharing the information.
Quoting from his report:
“Knowing that I was in the right place wasn't real helpful as I was initially unable to find any Bulimulus. Finally, I found one empty shell and spread out a search pattern from there. Finally I discovered the secret. There is one type of weed that grows in the roadside swale between the road and the ditch and it was under these patches of weeds that the Bulimulus were hiding. I found them nowhere else. It was kind of interesting as a small plant would have one live Bulimulus and a large plant would have 4-5. To say that the species is common is an understatement. I collected plenty (both live and empty shells) and could have collected a whole lot more if I had wanted them. All of those were from the swale which was mowed very close and recently. I can imagine that the nearby high growth weedy area is probably full of them. The only other mollusks I saw in this area were a very modest number of Polygyra cereolus.”
The locality is pictured to the north, and Bulimulus is on the left under the weeds.
When you look closely to the snails that Bill found, you will notice that some have the striped pattern, but others not. The latter thus resemble those from Duval County.
Thanks Bill for sharing the information.
On intra-specific variation
02-07-2010 17:52
Bill Frank sent me some
additional pictures of specimens of
Bulimulus
collected recently near
Jacksonville in Nassau County. He noted difference
with specimens collected inside the city (Duval
County), especially in the striping of the animals.
Specimens from Duval County above, Nassau County below.
Just today I read the comprehensive and thorough paper of Herbert & Moussalli (2010). They have a section on Comparative morphological observations, in which they noted that “due to intra-specific variability, head-foot colour seems to be of limited value for species discremination [...]. In most cases, data on body coloration is available for too few specimens to make meaningful assessments”.
Although in this case the difference is caused by a pattern in the mantle tissue, my hypothesis is that this is merely due to intra-specific variation. To be tested when molecular data become available for both populations.
Reference:
Herbert, D.G. & Moussalli, A., 2010. Revision of the larger cannibal snails (Natalina s.l.) of southern Africa -- Natalina s.s., Afrorhytida and Capitina (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Rhytididae). African Invertebrates 51: 1-132.
Specimens from Duval County above, Nassau County below.
Just today I read the comprehensive and thorough paper of Herbert & Moussalli (2010). They have a section on Comparative morphological observations, in which they noted that “due to intra-specific variability, head-foot colour seems to be of limited value for species discremination [...]. In most cases, data on body coloration is available for too few specimens to make meaningful assessments”.
Although in this case the difference is caused by a pattern in the mantle tissue, my hypothesis is that this is merely due to intra-specific variation. To be tested when molecular data become available for both populations.
Reference:
Herbert, D.G. & Moussalli, A., 2010. Revision of the larger cannibal snails (Natalina s.l.) of southern Africa -- Natalina s.s., Afrorhytida and Capitina (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Rhytididae). African Invertebrates 51: 1-132.
Florida Bulimulus again
29-06-2010 19:01
A few days ago,
the mysterious
Bulimulus
species
from Jacksonville
was found northeast of the city. The localities
are 27.8 kms apart, as the crow flies. As I doubt
if any crow (or whatever Floridan bird) may have
carried the eggs of this species, it remains
mysterious how this population got there. Was is
transported by trucks visiting the Duval Container
Co. station? Has it been there for more years,
unnoticed to local snail hunters?
Questions abound, answers yet to come.
Bulimulus sp. aff. guadalupensis (Bruguière, 1789)
cf. West Indian Bulimulus
[same taxon as Duval Container Co. station]
USA: Florida: Nassau Co.
US 301, 0.1 mi N Seaboard Coast Line RR.
Just W roadside, grassy shoulder, Fifteensnails actively crawling on larger weeds.
30º30.622'N 081º52.596'W.
H.G. Lee and E.W. Cavin! 26 June, 2010.
Thanks to Harry Lee for collecting and to Bill Frank for reporting.
Questions abound, answers yet to come.
Bulimulus sp. aff. guadalupensis (Bruguière, 1789)
cf. West Indian Bulimulus
[same taxon as Duval Container Co. station]
USA: Florida: Nassau Co.
US 301, 0.1 mi N Seaboard Coast Line RR.
Just W roadside, grassy shoulder, Fifteensnails actively crawling on larger weeds.
30º30.622'N 081º52.596'W.
H.G. Lee and E.W. Cavin! 26 June, 2010.
Thanks to Harry Lee for collecting and to Bill Frank for reporting.
Photo of the day (80): Bulimulus
11-12-2009 07:25
Bulimulus
is one of the most
inconspicuous genus groups in the Orthalicidae.
Always corneous, always more or less the same size
and shell shape.
Here is a picture of a living B. inconspicuus Haas, 1949, taken by Grace Montalván at Peru, Dept. Loreto, near Iquitos. A well-chosen name for this species. However, it clearly may be identified by the white line bordering the suture.
Thanks Grace!
Here is a picture of a living B. inconspicuus Haas, 1949, taken by Grace Montalván at Peru, Dept. Loreto, near Iquitos. A well-chosen name for this species. However, it clearly may be identified by the white line bordering the suture.
Thanks Grace!
A Gringo ghost Bulimulus
17-08-2009 20:04
After my
recent
post
on
Bulimulus
species in the USA, I received a link to the
site
of Bill Frank and Harry Lee. They have two pages
on
Bulimulus
guadalupensis
in Florida.
The pictures shown on these pages are actually *not* B. guadalupensis, but a still unknown species.
Harry found the small population at a trash pile in February 2009. As Bill wrote to me, “Thus far the snails have only been found in a very small area (about 3 x 5 meters) in an industrial area in the old core city of Jacksonville next to a major rail line and a factory often visited by trucks. I would assume that is how the snails got to the location where Dr. Lee Initially discovered them. I have repeated worked that area thoroughly since they were initially found in February. A total of 12 living specimens, and one empty shell, were cumulatively found over the six month period. During my last few trips no additional specimens could be found so I may have extirpated the colony. All of the specimens found were very similar in size. I kept the living snails in captivity for several months but nobody showed an interested in having them or preserved specimens for study so I euthanized them and just retained the empty shells. I check the habitat on a periodic basis for additional specimens”. Well you win some and you lose some... He was kind enough to re-visit the site, but only found one very juvenile before he had to back off because of a thunderstorm. Anyway, the population still exists.
Because B. guadalupensis also has an unicoloured form, it is easy to confuse this species with the figured one. After all, these Bulimulus species are all smallish and brownish...
Since this is not an autochtonous species, it is likely imported. Until I have specimens at hand, I do not dare to give a name to these creatures (remember, they are all smallish and brownish...). Until then, it will remain a ghost species.
The true B. guadalupensis was collected in southern Florida, near Miami. The current status of this population is unknown to me.
Thanks to Bill and Harry for information on this population and to David for the link.
The pictures shown on these pages are actually *not* B. guadalupensis, but a still unknown species.
Harry found the small population at a trash pile in February 2009. As Bill wrote to me, “Thus far the snails have only been found in a very small area (about 3 x 5 meters) in an industrial area in the old core city of Jacksonville next to a major rail line and a factory often visited by trucks. I would assume that is how the snails got to the location where Dr. Lee Initially discovered them. I have repeated worked that area thoroughly since they were initially found in February. A total of 12 living specimens, and one empty shell, were cumulatively found over the six month period. During my last few trips no additional specimens could be found so I may have extirpated the colony. All of the specimens found were very similar in size. I kept the living snails in captivity for several months but nobody showed an interested in having them or preserved specimens for study so I euthanized them and just retained the empty shells. I check the habitat on a periodic basis for additional specimens”. Well you win some and you lose some... He was kind enough to re-visit the site, but only found one very juvenile before he had to back off because of a thunderstorm. Anyway, the population still exists.
Because B. guadalupensis also has an unicoloured form, it is easy to confuse this species with the figured one. After all, these Bulimulus species are all smallish and brownish...
Since this is not an autochtonous species, it is likely imported. Until I have specimens at hand, I do not dare to give a name to these creatures (remember, they are all smallish and brownish...). Until then, it will remain a ghost species.
The true B. guadalupensis was collected in southern Florida, near Miami. The current status of this population is unknown to me.
Thanks to Bill and Harry for information on this population and to David for the link.
Another Bulimulus introduced in USA
11-08-2009 08:15
David Robinson sent me last week some pictures of
a
Bulimulus
species that had been found in Texas at the site of a
stone and marble importer, with a request for further
identification.
Without knowing further details of the origin, my ID was B. sporadicus (Orbigny, 1835). This species is known from northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Typically, the species is more slender, but several more ventricose forms have been described.
Further investigation led to the conclusion that this population originates from Brazil, where it has been reported from Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul.
Besides this species, several others are known to have been introduced in the USA. Bulimulus tenuissimus puellaris (Reeve, 1849) was reported by Robinson & Slapcinsky (2005) from North Carolina, Wilmington. In Florida, B. guadalupensis is spreading slowly northward and two other species have been intercepted by USDA officers.
Bulimulus is becoming more and more an alien, so far rather harmless - but you never know...
Reference:
Robinson, D.G. & Slapcinsky, J., 2005. Recent introductions of alien land snails into North America. - American Malacological Bulletin 20: 89-93.
Without knowing further details of the origin, my ID was B. sporadicus (Orbigny, 1835). This species is known from northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Typically, the species is more slender, but several more ventricose forms have been described.
Further investigation led to the conclusion that this population originates from Brazil, where it has been reported from Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul.
Besides this species, several others are known to have been introduced in the USA. Bulimulus tenuissimus puellaris (Reeve, 1849) was reported by Robinson & Slapcinsky (2005) from North Carolina, Wilmington. In Florida, B. guadalupensis is spreading slowly northward and two other species have been intercepted by USDA officers.
Bulimulus is becoming more and more an alien, so far rather harmless - but you never know...
Reference:
Robinson, D.G. & Slapcinsky, J., 2005. Recent introductions of alien land snails into North America. - American Malacological Bulletin 20: 89-93.
Photo of the day (36): Bulimulus
24-01-2009 21:17
The West Indies harbour many endemic land snails.
This picture was taken on the island Grenada from a
living
Bulimulus:
B.
wiebesi
Breure, 1978. It shows the characteristic short
tentacles for this genus.
It’s another picture from the suite that David Robinson sent me. Many thanks again David.
It’s another picture from the suite that David Robinson sent me. Many thanks again David.