Laminella venusta

Graceful Laminella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Superfamily:	Pupilloidea
Family:	Amastridae
Genus:	Laminella
Species:	L. venusta
Binomial name
Laminella venusta (Mighels, 1845)
Synonyms
Achatinella (Newcombia) venustaMighels, 1845 (unaccepted combination) Achatinella venustaMighels, 1845 (original combination)

Laminella venusta is a species of land snail in the genus Laminella . ^[1] Laminella venusta is a land snail in the family Amastridae. ^[2] In 1845 this species was given the common name of graceful Laminella snail. ^[3] The Hawaiian name for Laminella venusta is Pupu Kuahiwi, and it is the only surviving member of its family currently living on the island of Molokai. ^[4]

Subspecies:

• Laminella venusta muscariaHyatt & Pilsbry, 1911
• Laminella venusta orientalisHyatt & Pilsbry, 1911
• Laminella venusta venusta(Mighels, 1845)

Description

Laminella venusta is described as having a fawn-colored body with small distinct black points down its sides. It also has extremely dark tentacles. This species has a lean body that can increase to a size of two-thirds longer than its shell. The size of its shell can approximately reach to 1.35 cm in height with a diameter of 0.62 to 0.73 cm. The Graceful Laminella Snail is distinguished by the final whorl and the sunken black markings on its shell. ^[3]

Distribution and habitat

It is endemic to Hawaii. ^[5] Laminella venusta makes its home in the Mapulehu Valley near Molokai’s southeastern coast. ^[3] This rare species can be found on olopua trees down in gulches. This species routinely swabs fungi off olona leaves, as fungi are its main food source. ^[4] The species is one of the nine state snails of Hawaii. ^[6]

References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Laminella venusta (Mighels, 1845). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1421699 on 2023-08-28
2. Imbler, Sabrina (2019-11-22). "In the Field With the Intrepid, Dedicated Snailers of Hawai'i". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
3. Alang (2018-09-13). "Laminella venusta (Mighels) | Dead as the Dodo – Holocene Extinctions" . Retrieved 2023-11-20.
4. "Laminella venusta – Hawaii State Snails Voting Platform" . Retrieved 2023-11-20.
5. "Laminella venusta (Mighels, 1845)". Molluscabase. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
6. Bender, Maddie. "How a Hawaiian High School Student Inspired Nine New State Animals". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-20.

• Yeung, N. W.; Bustamente, K. M.; Sischo, D. R.; Hayes, K. A. (2018). Rediscovery of Newcombia canaliculata (Baldwin, 1895) (Gastropoda: Achatinellidae) and Laminella venusta (Mighels, 1845) (Gastropoda: Amastridae). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 123: 31-36
• Cowie, R. H., Evenhuis, N. L. & Christensen, C. C. (1995). Catalog of the Native Land and Freshwater Molluscs of the Hawaiian Islands. vi + 248 pp. [3 June]. Leiden (Backhuys Publishers).

External links

• Mighels, J. W. (1845). Descriptions of shells from the Sandwich Islands, and other localities. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 2: 18-25. Title page dated 1848