Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

Key to Genus Allodiscus and conchologically similar land snails

<em>Allodiscus ergodes</em>

Allodiscus ergodes

The New Zealand land snail fauna includes many Punctoidea. Collections presently house at least 450 species-level taxa of the family Charopidae from New Zealand. Only 210 of these species have been formally described (Barker 2005). Discocharopa aperta (Moellendorff, 1888) is represented in the New Zealand region only in the Kermadec Islands, and its range extends widely in the Pacific (Solem 1982). All other New Zealand charopid species are endemic. These land snails are litter-dwelling detritivores of forests and shrublands.

Many charopids are considered of conservation concern (Hitchmough et al. 2007). However, in many groups in the New Zealand Charopidae proper assessment of conservation status has been hindered by the lack of modern systematic treatment and the absence of formal taxonomy of many recognised but presently undescribed species.

Marshall and Barker recently revised the New Zealand endemic genera Allodiscus Pilsbry, 1892 (9 species in Allodiscus sensu stricto; 42 species Allodiscus sensu lato) and Pseudallodiscus Climo, 1971 (1 species). In that revision, Hirsutodiscus Climo, 1971 (1 species), previously treated as a subgenus in Allodiscus, was elevated to generic status. Furthermore, three new genera were erected for species previously assigned formally or informally to genus Allodiscus, namely Granallodisus Marshall and Barker, 2008 (3 species); Costallodiscus Marshall and Barker, 2008 (3 species); and Canallodiscus Marshall and Barker, 2008 (3 species).

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How to cite

Barker GM, Marshall BA 2008. Keys to New Zealand land snails – 2. Genus Allodiscus and conchologically similar land snails. Published online by Landcare Research and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Accessed at https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/resources/identification/animals/identification-keys/allodiscus.
Date of access: 23 Nov 2024