Helicinidae


Helicinidae is a family of small tropical land snails, terrestrial operculate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicinoidea.

Name

These snails are not at all closely related to the air-breathing land snails, despite a superficial similarity of the shells. The name "Helicinidae" immediately reminds most people of "Helicidae", the most well-known group of land snails including e.g. Helix pomatia, but the important two letters "ni" only from the Latin diminutive of the latter name alluding to superficial similarities of otherwise completely different things.

Distribution

These snails are found in tropical and subtropical areas but they have an odd distribution: they are restricted to the Caribbean islands and some Indo-Pacific and Pacific islands, as well as the edge of the Asian and Australian continents. Some species are found in the southern United States, from Louisiana to Florida; others in Central and South America.

Taxonomy

Helicinidae belongs to superfamily Helicinoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
This family consists of six following subfamilies :
  • Helicininae Férussac, 1822 - synonym: Olygyridae Gray, 1847; Bourcierinae Paetel, 1890
  • Ceratodiscinae Pilsbry, 1927
  • † Dimorphoptychiinae Wenz, 1938
  • Hendersoniinae H. B. Baker, 1926
  • Stoastomatinae C. B. Adams, 1849
  • Vianinae H. B. Baker, 1922

Genera

Genera within the family Helicinidae include:
Subfamily HelicininaeAlcadia Gray, 1840Aphanoconia A. J. Wagner, 1905Bourciera Pfeiffer, 1852 Ceochasma F. G. Thompson, 1968 Ceratopoma Möllendorff, 1893 Emoda Adams, 1856Glyptemoda Clench & Aguayo, 1950Helicina Lamarck, 1799 - type genus of the family HelicinidaeHemipoma Wagner, 1905Kosmetopoma A. J. Wagner, 1905Negopenia Iredale, 1941Nesiocina Richling & Bouchet, 2013Ogasawarana Wagner, 1905Olygyra Say, 1818: synonym of Helicina Lamarck, 1799 Orobophana Wagner, 1905Palaeohelicina A. J. Wagner, 1905Pecoviana Iredale, 1941Pleuropoma Moellendorff, 1893Schasicheila Shuttleworth, 1852Stoastomops Baker, 1924Sturanya Wagner, 1905Sulfurina Möllendorff, 1893
subfamily CeratodiscinaeCeratodiscus Simpson & Henderson, 1901 - type genus of the subfamily Ceratodiscinae
Subfamily † Dimorphoptychiinae
Subfamily HendersoniinaeHendersonia A. J. Wagner, 1905 - type genus of the subfamily HendersoniinaeWaldemaria Wagner, 1905
Subfamily StoastomatinaeStoastoma C. B. Adams, 1849 - type genus of the subfamily Stoastomatinae
Subfamily VianinaeCalidviana Baker, 1954Calybium Morelet, 1891Eutrochatella Fischer, 1885Geophorus Fischer, 1885Heudeia Crosse, 1885Lucidella Swainson, 1840 Pseudotrochatella Nevill, 1881Pyrgodomus Fischer & Crosse, 1893Viana H. Adams & A. Adams, 1856 - type genus of the subfamily Vianinae
Subfamily ?Priotrochatella Fischer, 1893Semitrochatella Aguayo & Jaume, 1958Sturanyella Pilsbry & Cooke, 1934Troschelviana Baker, 1922Ustronia Kobelt, 1908