scholarly journals Plants critical for Hawaiian land snail conservation: arboreal snail plant preferences in Puʻu Kukui Watershed, Maui

Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Wallace M. Meyer ◽  
Lily M. Evans ◽  
Connor J.K. Kalahiki ◽  
John Slapcinsky ◽  
Tricia C. Goulding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Host Preferences ◽  
Island Endemic ◽  
Understorey Plants

Abstract The Hawaiian archipelago was formerly home to one of the most species-rich land snail faunas (> 752 species), with levels of endemism > 99%. Many native Hawaiian land snail species are now extinct, and the remaining fauna is vulnerable. Unfortunately, lack of information on critical habitat requirements for Hawaiian land snails limits the development of effective conservation strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the plant host preferences of native arboreal land snails in Puʻu Kukui Watershed, West Maui, Hawaiʻi, and compare these patterns to those from similar studies on the islands of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi. Concordant with studies on other islands, we found that four species from three diverse families of snails in Puʻu Kukui Watershed had preferences for a few species of understorey plants. These were not the most abundant canopy or mid canopy species, indicating that forests without key understorey plants may not support the few remaining lineages of native snails. Preference for Broussaisia arguta among various island endemic snails across all studies indicates that this species is important for restoration to improve snail habitat. As studies examining host plant preferences are often incongruent with studies examining snail feeding, we suggest that we are in the infancy of defining what constitutes critical habitat for most Hawaiian arboreal snails. However, our results indicate that preserving diverse native plant assemblages, particularly understorey plant species, which facilitate key interactions, is critical to the goal of conserving the remaining threatened snail fauna.

scholarly journals The direct cost of traumatic secretion transfer in hermaphroditic land snails: individuals stabbed with a love dart decrease lifetime fecundity

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1804) ◽  
pp. 20143063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Kimura ◽  
Satoshi Chiba
Keyword(s):  
Direct Cost ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Arms Races ◽  
Lifetime Fecundity ◽  
Sperm Donors

Several taxa of simultaneously hermaphroditic land snails exhibit a conspicuous mating behaviour, the so-called shooting of love darts. During mating, such land snail species transfer a specific secretion by stabbing a mating partner's body with the love dart. It has been shown that sperm donors benefit from this traumatic secretion transfer, because the secretions manipulate the physiology of a sperm recipient and increase the donors' fertilization success. However, it is unclear whether reception of dart shooting is costly to the recipients. Therefore, the effect of sexual conflict and antagonistic arms races on the evolution of traumatic secretion transfer in land snails is still controversial. To examine this effect, we compared lifetime fecundity and longevity between the individuals that received and did not receive dart shooting from mating partners in Bradybaena pellucida . Our experiments showed that the dart-receiving snails suffered reduction in lifetime fecundity and longevity. These results suggest that the costly mating behaviour, dart shooting, generates conflict between sperm donors and recipients and that sexually antagonistic arms races have contributed to the diversification of the morphological and behavioural traits relevant to dart shooting. Our findings also support theories suggesting a violent escalation of sexual conflict in hermaphroditic animals.

The land snail fauna of a South American rainforest biodiversity hotspot: the Panguana conservation area in the Peruvian Amazon

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-318
Author(s):  
Birte Wendebourg ◽  
Bernhard Hausdorf
Keyword(s):  
Distinct Group ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
South American ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Synanthropic Species ◽  
Very High

Abstract We investigated the land snail fauna of the Panguana conservation area on the western rim of the Amazonas basin in Peru. A total of 2,322 individuals assigned to 65 land snail species were collected in 32 plots. Ten additional species were found in collections made on previous expeditions to Panguana. On the basis of available data, Panguana is the most species rich locality for land snails in South America. The species density of 75 land snail species in c. 2 km2 of rather homogeneous rainforest is also high on a global scale. The land snail fauna of Panguana is characterized by a very high proportion of species belonging to the carnivorous family Scolodontidae, many of which are likely to be new to science. The fauna includes seven species that are new records for Peru, and the species Hirtudiscus sp., Xenodiscula venezuelensis, Geostilbia aperta, Guppya gundlachii and Thysanophora plagioptycha represent genera not previously recorded from the country. The synanthropic species Allopeas gracile, Opeas hannense, Subulina octona, Geostilbia aperta and Gastrocopta servilis form an ecologically distinct group that occurs mainly in sites strongly modified by humans. The presence of these species on the margin of the Amazon rainforest is evidence of the ongoing homogenization of the global fauna.

Production of Natural Bioceramic from Land Snails

2011 ◽  
Vol 493-494 ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kel ◽  
Hasan Gökçe ◽  
D. Bilgiç ◽  
D. Ağaoğulları ◽  
I. Duman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helix Pomatia ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Ultrasonic Equipment ◽  
Liquid Part ◽  
Commercially Important

There are thousands of land snail species, ranging in size from 1 mm to the Giant African Snail growing up to a foot long. Two species, known as escargot, helix aspersa and helix pomatia, are commercially important. Helix pomatia is abundant in Turkey. Those snails are exported usually without shells. Shells are damped to trash sites or used as substitute food for animals. The shell is rich in calcium carbonate and some other minor minerals. Thus, snails’ shells can be used as a source for bioceramic production. So far, in the literature there are lot of papers about converting calcite and aragonite structures to hydroxyapatite (HA), like corals, sea shells, sea urchin and other sea creatures. However, there is very limited information about converting land snail shells to HA and other bioceramic phases. The aim of this work was to produce various phases of bioceramic materials from land snails’ shells which are left as a residue waste after their export procedures. Empty local land snails’ shells (helix pomatia) were collected in Istanbul. They were washed, dried, crushed and ball milled until a powder of 100 µm particles size was obtained. Raw powders were stirred at 80°C for 15 min on a hotplate. A second part of the raw powder was stirred with an ultrasonic stirrer at 80°C for 15 min in an ultrasonic equipment. Equivalent amount of H3PO4 was added drop by drop into the solution. The reaction lasted for 8h. Then, to evaporate the liquid part, the mixtures were put into an incubator at 100°C for 24 h and the resultant dried sediments were collected. The produced powders were analyzed with X-ray diffraction, IR and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The experimental results confirmed the formation of various Ca-phosphates, specifically monetite, fluorapatite and some other minor calcium phosphate phases. Bioceramic production from land snail is a reliable and economic way comparing to other tedious methods of producing synthetic HA and other various bioceramics phases.

scholarly journals Contrasting responses of two xerophilous land snails to fire and natural reforestation

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-S1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Santos ◽  
Vicenç Bros ◽  
Elisabet Ros
Keyword(s):  
Key Management ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Holm Oak ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Faunal Distribution

Land-use change is considered the main disturbance in landscape structure and composition, directly affecting faunal distribution and species richness worldwide. Wildfires and natural reforestation alter habitat structure in terms of vegetation cover and also in soil composition and moisture; these processes hence trigger habitat transformations that act as opposing forces at small spatial scales. We have explored the contrasting effects of wildfires and natural reforestation on two land-snail species of the genus Xerocrassa, which are endemic in the western Mediterranean. Snails were sampled in pine and Holm oak forest, stony bare slopes and burnt sites. Both species followed a similar pattern: they were present in more than 75% of the stony bare slope sites and around 50% of the burnt sites, but were almost absent in Holm oak forests. The comparison of aerial photographs from 1956 and 2003 showed that stony bare slopes were significantly larger in 1956, this indicating that the natural reforestation might close these habitats, and consequently threaten the viability of the Xerocrassa populations. Given their limited mobility, the presence of Xerocrassa at burnt sites suggests that these species live in small and cryptic populations within the forest, surviving fire and expanding their distribution due to the appearance of adequate habitats. Our study shows that natural reforestation and fire play opposing roles in conserving Xerocrassa populations. The preservation of stony bare slopes as well as other open areas is a key management guideline to maintain landscape mosaics and help future conservation of species of open habitats such as these vulnerable endemic gastropods.

DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY OF LAND SNAILS IN GUNUNG HALIMUN SALAK NATIONAL PARK (GHSNP) IN JAVA, INDONESIA

Zoo Indonesia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayu Savitri Nurinsiyah ◽  
Ita Faizah ◽  
Yogi Prasetio ◽  
Tedi Setiadi ◽  
Ristiyanti Marsetiowati Marwoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
National Park ◽  
New Records ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Tropical Montane Forest ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
June July

The land snail fauna of the largest tropical montane forest in Java, the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP), was surveyed during the dry season (June-July) in 2015, concentrating on four park’s resorts, i.e. Cikaniki, Mt. Botol, Cisarua (Halimun area) and Cidahu (Salak area). In total, 399 specimens representing 43 species were collected. Prior to the surveys, 48 land snail species were known from the GHSNP. Fifteen new records for the GHSNP were discovered so 63 species are now known to inhabit the Park. This number represent 25% of the total land snail fauna of Java. 21 of the species found in GHSNP are endemic to Java. The species richness of the plots in GHSNP was correlated with soil pH and the composition of the land snail communities was correlated with elevation, annual mean temperature, and amount of deadwood.

scholarly journals Sequencing of Transcriptome and Small RNA Revealed the Xenobiotic Metabolism-Related Genes and Potential Regulatory miRNA in Asian Tramp Snail

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Yang ◽  
Wanjun Yang ◽  
Feng Shang ◽  
Biyue Ding ◽  
Jinzhi Niu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Rna ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Xenobiotic Metabolism ◽  
Molecular Study ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
P450 Monooxygenases ◽  
Genes Encoding

The Asian tramp snail, Bradybaena similaris (Ferusssac), is an invasive land snail species and has been a rising agricultural pest in south of China. As a pest, it also plays a role in transmission of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. However, present studies on this species are rare and the molecular information is limited. For this purpose, we sequenced the transcriptome and small RNA of B. similaris collected from citrus orchards. In total, 89,747 unigenes with an N50 size of 1287 bp and an average length of 817 bp were generated from ∼8.9 Gb transcriptome and 31 Mb clean reads were generated from ∼36 Mb small RNA library. To demonstrate the usefulness of these two datasets, we analyzed a series of genes associated with xenobiotic metabolism and core RNAi machinery. Analysis of the transcripts resulted in annotation of 126 putative genes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP, 45), carboxyl/cholinesterases (CCE, 13), glutathione-S-transferases (GST, 24), and ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC, 44). Analysis of the small RNA detected 42 miRNAs. In addition, four genes involved in small RNA pathways (miRNA, piRNA, and siRNA) were identified, and a total of 430 genes that can be targeted by miRNAs were predicted. Moreover, we found that a few miRNAs could target certain genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. Therefore, we believe that these two datasets and the characterization of the identified/predicted genes will facilitate the molecular study of this species as well as other land snails with agricultural importance.

scholarly journals HELIX: A data-driven characterization of Brazilian land snails

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo N. Almeida ◽  
Rodolfo Alves de Oliveira ◽  
Luiz Olmes ◽  
Gustavo S. Semaan ◽  
Daniel de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Hidden Patterns ◽  
Roc Area

Decision-support systems benefit from hidden patterns extracted from digital information. In the specific domain of gastropod characterization, morphometrical measurements support biologists in the identification of land snail specimens. Although snails can be easily identified by their excretory and reproductive systems, the after-death mollusk body is commonly inaccessible because of either soft material deterioration or fossilization. This study aims at characterizing Brazilian land snails by morphometrical data features manually taken from the shells. In particular, we examined a dataset of shells by using different learning models that labeled snail specimens with a precision up to 97.5% (F1-Score = .975, CKC = .967 and ROC Area = .998). The extracted patterns describe similarities and trends among land snail species and indicates possible outliers physiologies due to climate traits and breeding. Finally, we show some morphometrical characteristics dominate others according to different feature selection biases. Those data-based patterns can be applied to fast land snail identification whenever their bodies are unavailable, as in the recurrent cases of lost shells in nature or private and museum collections.

scholarly journals LIST OF LAND SNAILS IN JAVA AND SEVERAL ADJACENT ISLANDS

TREUBIA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-170
Author(s):  
Ayu Savitri Nurinsiyah
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Check List ◽  
Restricted Distribution

The malacofauna of Java has been most studied among the Indonesian islands, but the list of land snails in the area remains outdated. This study presents an updated check list of land snails in Java and its adjacent islands. This list is a compilation data from field work in Java conducted in 2013-2016, records from various museums in Europe and Indonesia, collections from private collectors, data from citizen sciences, and literatures. In total, 263 land snail species were recorded in Java and its adjacent islands. The number comprises of 36 families i.e. Subclass Neritimorpha (2 families), Caenogastropoda (6 families), and Heterobranchia (28 families). About 40% are species endemic to Java and among them have restricted distribution to certain areas. In addition, 5% or 13 introduced species were recorded in Java.

scholarly journals Considerations Regarding the Land Snails from the Upper Timiş River Valley (Banat, Romania)

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Voichiţa Gheoca
Keyword(s):  
Land Snail ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
Crystalline Schist ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Mountain Area ◽  
Waste Storage ◽  
Eu Habitats Directive ◽  
The Eu

ABSTRACT The paper focuses on land snail fauna from the upper Timiş River valley. The analyzed material originates from seven locations starting with the Trei Ape area (Semenic Mountains) and ending with Petroşniţa (upstream Caransebeş). Samplings were made during one campaign in August 2012. A total of 24 species was identified, belonging to 14 families. The area analyzed exhibits a reduced diversity due to the type of substratum represented by crystalline schist, the conifer dominated vegetation in the mountain area, and the anthropogenic impact of tourism, intensive grazing, cutting of woody vegetation in meadows and waste storage. The presence in Sadova Veche of the species Drobacia banatica, listed on Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive, underlines the importance of riparian habitat preservation for the conservation and dispersion of land snail species.

scholarly journals Community ecology of tropical forest snails: 30 years after Solem

2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Menno Schilthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Species Abundance Distributions ◽  
Site Diversity

Since Solem’s provocative claim in the early 1980s that land snails in tropical forests are neither abundant nor diverse, at least 30 quantitative-ecological papers on tropical land snail communities have appeared. Jointly, these papers have shown that site diversity is, in fact, high in tropical forests; often more than 100 species have been recorded per site, which is somewhat more than normally found at sites in higher latitudes. At the same time, however, point diversities (which usually range between 10 and 30 species per quadrat) appear to be no different from the ones recorded for temperate localities, which suggests that the number of ways in which syntopic resource space can be subdivided among different land snail species has an upper limit that is no higher under tropical conditions. The available data do not allow much analysis of the ecological structuring processes of communities besides very coarse ones, e.g. the proportions of carnivores versus herbivores and Pulmonata versus non-pulmonates. Also, these first 30 years of research have shown that a number of serious methodological and conceptual issues need to be resolved for the field to move ahead; in particular whether empty shells from the forest floor may be used as a proxy for the contemporaneous communities. I make a number of suggestions for ways in which these obstacles may be removed. First, studies should be preceded by exploratory nested sampling in contiguous quadrats of increasing size, spanning several orders of magnitude. The shape of the triphasic species-area curve and nonlinear regression of the small-area end of the curve will help identify the quadrat and site areas that allow ecologically more meaningful studies. Second, researchers should be more aware of the trophic levels of species and restrict their analyses within guilds and within body size classes as much as possible. Testing species abundance distributions against ecologically explicit theoretical models may be a fruitful avenue for research. Finally, I argue that studies of this nature require species abundances that may only be found in tropical land snail communities that live on calcareous substrate, and therefore I suggest that malacologists aiming to understand community structure focus on limestone sites initially.

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