Subfamily Subulininae P. Fischer & Crosse, 1877

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Introduction

Subulinids are circumtropical in distribution with the greatest species diversity occurring in Africa. Australia’s subulinids comprise six species of which two are native and four are exotic.

Some subulinids are protandrous hermaphrodites and can reproduce either by parthenogenesis or self fertilisation. Species found in Australia are ovoviviparous; large, almost spherical eggs can often be seen clearly through the transparent shells. Subulinids may have relatively short, thick ocular tentacles with little or no swelling at the tip in some species, while in others the tip is bulb-like. Subulinids produce an epiphragm to seal the aperture in dry conditions. Species occurring in Australia are all herbivorous, and exotic species are known to cause damage to plants.

Subulinids are generally terrestrial litter dwellers and live in a wide variety of habitats. Native species range from semi-arid conditions to woodland, coastal vine thickets and dry rainforest. The exotic species that occur in Australia are mainly coastal in distribution and are usually associated with gardens, nurseries, plantations and crops.

Diagnosis

Subulinids have slender, elongate shells that vary from opaque to translucent to transparent and have a silky, glassy or dull appearance. Whorls are generally rounded to rather flattened and sutures are strongly to moderately impressed and may be straight or crenulated. Subulinids are imperforate or have a slight umbilical chink. Sculpture varies from smooth to coarsely axially striated. The native taxa have extremely fine spiral threads on the apical whorls whereas the exotic species generally have smooth protoconchs. The apical whorls are generally bulb-like or bullet-shaped in most species. Apertures are ovate to elongately ovate in all species and lips are undifferentiated to slightly thickened. The columella may be straight or slanted, continuous or truncated and the palatal edge of the aperture may be relatively straight, curved or sinuous. Shell colour varies from transparent colourless to dull white. Animal colour varies from bright yellow to cream.

Diagnosis References

Solem, A. 1998. Family Subulinidae. pp. 1087-1088 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234. [1087]

Stanisic, J., Shea, M., Potter, D. & Griffiths, O. 2010. Australian Land Snails. A field guide to eastern Australian species. Mauritius : Bioculture Press Vol. 1 595 pp. [118]

General References

Burch, J.B. 1976. Outline of classification of Australian terrestrial molluscs (native and introduced). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 3: 127-156

Smith, B.J. 1992. Non-Marine Mollusca. In, Houston, W.W.K. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Non-marine Mollusca. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 8 xii 408 pp. [308]

Solem, A. 1989. Non-camaenid land snails of the Kimberley and Northern Territory, Australia. I. Systematics, affinities and ranges. Invertebrate Taxonomy 2(4): 455-604

Solem, A. 1998. Family Subulinidae. pp. 1087-1088 in Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. & Wells, A. (eds). Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 5(Part B) pp. vi–viii, 565–1234.

Stanisic, J., Shea, M., Potter, D. & Griffiths, O. 2010. Australian Land Snails. A field guide to eastern Australian species. Mauritius : Bioculture Press Vol. 1 595 pp. [118]

Zilch, A. 1959. Gastropoda. Teil 2. Euthyneura. In, Schindewolf, O.H. (ed.). Handbuch der Paläozoologie. Berlin-Zehlendorf : Bornträger Vol. 6(2)(2) xii 834 pp.

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