Placostylus


Placostylus, or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae.
The shells of the snails in this genus can be as large as 4.5 inches in maximum dimension.
Many species within this genus are now extinct.

Taxonomy

Placostylus is the type genus of the family Placostylidae. It was placed within Placostylidae.
Breure et al. moved Prestonella and Bothriembryon to Placostylidae. Subsequently, Breure & Romero confirmed previous results from 2010 and they renamed Placostylidae to Bothriembryontidae.

Distribution

This genus of snails occurs in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Lord Howe Island, and Northland in New Zealand. There are three species in New Zealand and no subspecies.

Species

In former classification, two subgenera were recognized:
subgenus Basileostylus Haas, 1935
subgenus Maoristylus Haas, 1935
Species within this genus include:
;Synonyms:
  • Placostylus albersi Dautzenberg & Bouge in Dautzenberg, 1923: synonym of Placostylus fibratus souvillei
  • Placostylus alexander : synonym of Placostylus fibratus alexander
  • Placostylus alienus Pilsbry, 1893: synonym of Santacharis fuligineus
  • Placostylus ambagiosus Suter, 1907: synonym of Maoristylus ambagiosus
  • Placostylus annibal : synonym of Placostylus caledonicus
  • Placostylus bavayi : synonym of Placostylus eddystonensis bavayi
  • Placostylus bivaricosus : synonym of Maoristylus bivaricosus
  • Placostylus bollonsi Suter, 1908 - New Zealand flax snail: synonym of Basileostylus bollonsi
  • Placostylus calus E. A. Smith, 1892: synonym of Eumecostylus calus
  • Placostylus cicatricosus : synonym of Placostylus fibratus alexander
  • Placostylus cleryi : synonym of Eumecostylus cleryi
  • Placostylus cuniculinsulae Cox, 1872: synonym of Maoristylus bivaricosus
  • Placostylus dorseyi Dall, 1910: synonym of Partula grisea Lesson, 1831
  • Placostylus duplex : synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus porphyrostomus
  • Placostylus dupuyi Kobelt, 1890: synonym of Placostylus eddystonensis bavayi
  • Placostylus elobatus : synonym of Callistocharis elobatus
  • Placostylus falcicula : synonym of Placostylus fibratus fibratus
  • Placostylus founaki : synonym of Eumecostylus founaki
  • Placostylus francoisi Mabille, 1895: synonym of Poecilocharis bicolor
  • Placostylus gizoensis Clench, 1941: synonym of Maoristylus bivaricosus
  • Placostylus goulvainensis Kobelt, 1891: synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus smithii Kobelt, 1891
  • Placostylus guestieri : synonym of Placostylus fibratus guestieri
  • Placostylus guppyi E. A. Smith, 1892: synonym of Eumecostylus guppyi
  • Placostylus hienguensis Crosse, 1871: synonym of Placostylus eddystonensis
  • Placostylus hongii : synonym of Maoristylus hongii
  • Placostylus houailouensis Dautzenberg, 1901: synonym of Placostylus fibratus alexander
  • Placostylus kanalensis : synonym of Placostylus fibratus alexander
  • Placostylus layardi Kobelt, 1891: synonym of Placostylus bondeensis rossiteri
  • Placostylus leucolenus Crosse, 1896: synonym of Placostylus fibratus fibratus
  • Placostylus loyaltyensis : synonym of Leucocharis loyaltyensis
  • Placostylus manni Clapp, 1923: synonym of Eumecostylus manni
  • Placostylus mariei : synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus mariei
  • Placostylus miltocheilus : synonym of Aspastus miltocheilus
  • Placostylus ouveanus : synonym of Placostylus fibratus ouveanus
  • Placostylus palmarum : synonym of Placocharis palmarum
  • Placostylus paravicinianus B. Rensch, 1934: synonym of Eumecostylus paravicinianus
  • Placostylus poyensis Kobelt, 1891: synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus mariei
  • Placostylus priscus A. W. B. Powell, 1938: synonym of Maoristylus ambagiosus
  • Placostylus pseudocaledonicus : synonym of Placostylus scarabus
  • Placostylus pyrostomus : synonym of Santacharis salomonis
  • Placostylus remotus Hedley, 1898: synonym of Partula remota
  • Placostylus salomonis : synonym of Santacharis salomonis
  • Placostylus sanchristovalensis : synonym of Eumecostylus sanchristovalensis
  • Placostylus savesi Crosse, 1886: synonym of Placostylus eddystonensis savesi Crosse, 1886
  • Placostylus saxtoni Kobelt, 1891: synonym of Placostylus caledonicus
  • Placostylus scottii : synonym of Eumecostylus scottii
  • Placostylus seemanni : synonym of Euplacostylus seemanni
  • Placostylus singularis : synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus porphyrostomus
  • Placostylus sinistrorsa : synonym of Placostylus fibratus ouveanus
  • Placostylus smithii Kobelt, 1891: synonym of Placostylus porphyrostomus smithii Kobelt, 1891
  • Placostylus souvillei : synonym of Placostylus fibratus souvillei
  • Placostylus stutchburyi : synonym of Placocharis stutchburyi
  • Placostylus superfasciatus : synonym of Placostylus fibratus fibratus
  • Placostylus unicus B. Rensch, 1934: synonym of ''Eumecostylus unicus''