Trochulus | |
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An older adult individual of Trochulus hispidus with most of the hairs worn off of the shell | |
Five views of a shell of Trochulus hispidus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Order: | Stylommatophora |
Family: | Hygromiidae |
Subfamily: | Trochulininae |
Tribe: | Trochulini |
Genus: | Trochulus Chemnitz, 1786 [1] |
Synonyms | |
Trochulus is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Trochulininae of the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Trichia Hartmann, 1840 [2] is a junior synonym of Trochulus Chemnitz, 1786. [3]
Nearly every malacological work prior to 2006 used the name Trichia instead of the (now considered valid) name Trochulus.
The genus Plicuteria Schileyko, 1978 has been once recognized as a subgenus within Trochulus by Schileyko (1978). [4] Based on molecular analyses, Trochulus lubomirski does not belong to the genus Trochulus. [5] Trochulus lubomirski (Ślósarski, 1881) is now recognized as Plicuteria lubomirski (Ślósarski, 1881).
The speciation centre for the genus Trochulus is in the Alps. [6]
The type species of this genus is Trochulus hispidus .
Species within the genus Trochulus include: [7] [8]
The periostracum of the shells of most Trochulus species has hair-like features. Some of the hair-less species do possess hairs as juveniles. Hairy shells appeared to be the ancestral character state in the genus Trochulus, a feature which has most probably been lost three times independently.
These losses were correlated with a shift from humid to dry habitats, indicating an adaptive function of hairs in moist environments. It had been previously hypothesised that these costly protein structures of the outer shell layer facilitate locomotion in moist habitats. Experiments by Pfenninger et al. (2005) [5] showed an increased adherence of haired shells to wet surfaces. The possession of hairs facilitates the adherence of the snails to their herbaceous food plants during foraging, when humidity levels are high. The absence of hairs in some Trochulus species could thus be explained as a loss of the potential adaptive function linked to habitat shifts. [5]
Trochulus species in moist habitats prefer to forage on large-leaved herbaceous plants like Adenostyles , Urtica (nettles), Homogyne or Tussilago (coltsfoot etc). [5]
The periostracum is a thin, organic coating that is the outermost layer of the shell of many shelled animals, including molluscs and brachiopods. Among molluscs, it is primarily seen in snails and clams, i.e. in gastropods and bivalves, but it is also found in cephalopods such as Allonautilus scrobiculatus. The periostracum is an integral part of the shell, and it forms as the shell forms, along with the other shell layers. The periostracum is used to protect the organism from corrosion.
Radix is a genus of air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropods in the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.
Chilostoma is a genus of medium-sized, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Helicidae, the true snails.
Trochulus caelatus is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Noricella oreinos is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. This species is endemic to Austria.
Hygromiidae is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.
Trochulus hispidus, previously known as Trichia hispida, common name, the "hairy snail", is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies.
Plicuteria lubomirski is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. The species is named after the Polish nobleman and shell collector Władysław Emanuel Lubomirski.
Xerocampylaea erjaveci is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. It was for long time seen as a member of the genus Trochulus, but moved to the genus Xerocampylaea after more comprehensive research.
Xerocampylaea waldemari is a species of air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Hygromiidae, the hairy snails and their allies. It was for long time seen as a member of the genus Trochulus, but moved to the genus Xerocampylaea after more comprehensive research. This species is endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Xerocampylaea is a genus of gastropods belonging to the family Hygromiidae.
Helix buchii is a species of large, air-breathing land snail native to northeastern Turkey, Georgia, and northern Armenia.
This article incorporates CC-BY-2.0 text from reference. [5]