Holospira


Holospira is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Urocoptidae.
Holospira is the type genus of the subfamily 'Holospirinae Pilsbry, 1946'.

Etymology

Holos from Ancient Greek means "‘whole’" or "‘entire’" and spira from Latin means spire.

Shell description

The shell is small, cylindric, terminating above in a conic spire, retaining all the whorls, rimate or perforate. The shell has 11-21 whorls, which are closely coiled. The first 1½ of whorls are smooth. The rest of whorls are smooth, striate or ribbed. The suture is superficial. Body whorl is more or less built forward.
The aperture is small, obliquely pear-shaped, rounded or oval. The peristome is expanded or reflected, continuous and usually free throughout.
The columella is hollow, variously sculptured or smooth.

Anatomy

The foot is small, narrow for its length.
The lung is long and narrow. Kidney is very narrowly triangular, being wider at the base, tapering anteriorly, slightly longer than the pericardium. There is apparently no secondary ureter.
The buccal mass is small, about twice as long as wide, the oesophagus opening well forward. Salivary glands are not united, and in Holospira goldfussi they have long ducts.
The jaw is thin, arcuate, with a wide median projection below or none. The radula is about four times as long as wide, with from 19.1.19 teeth to 27.1.27.
The genital system is like this: there is an atrium of moderate length, the penis is short, with a very long vas deferens, the retractor muscle being inserted at or just beyond the slightly swollen penis, and proximally attached to the floor of the lung, as usual.
The free retractor muscles, attached proximally to the axis at about the junction of the cone with the cylindrical portion of the shell, are excessively long.

Distribution

The geographic range of this genus extends from southern Mexico to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. These snails are not found in Lower California nor Guatemala on the southeast.

Habitat

They are confined chiefly to the elevated plateau, where they live under cacti, etc., in sunny places.
These snails can tolerate great heat.
Henry Augustus Pilsbry states, that living specimens of Holospira strobeliana and Holospira nelsoni survived immersion in boiling water for some minutes. Unlike other snails, they did not retract in the water.

Species

Species in the genus Holospira include:Holospira acanthidiaHolospira aguerrevereiHolospira albertoiHolospira alvarezensisHolospira animasensis Gilbertson & Worthington, 2003 from subgenus EudistemmaHolospira arizonensis Stearns, 1890 - Arizona holospiraHolospira aurantiacaHolospira bilamellata Dall, 1895 - bilamellate holospiraHolospira bostrichocentrumHolospira campestris Pilsbry & Ferriss, 1915Holospira campoHolospira chazumbaeHolospira chiricahuana Pilsbry, 1905 - Cave Creek holospiraHolospira cionella Pilsbry, 1905Holospira cockerelli Dall, 1897 - Cockerell holospiraHolospira colymisHolospira cremnobatesHolospira crossei Dall, 1895 - Cross holospiraHolospira dalli PilsbryHolospira danielsi Pilsbry & Ferriss, 1915 - strongrib holospiraHolospira denserpensHolospira dentaxisHolospira durangoensisHolospira eburneaHolospira elizabethae Pilsbry, 1889Holospira fergusoni Gilbertson & Naranjo-García, 2010Holospira ferrissi Pilsbry, 1905 - stocky holospiraHolospira fortisculptaHolospira goldfussi - New Braunfels holospira
  • * Holospira goldfussi anacachensis BartschHolospira goldmani
  • † Holospira grangeri Cockerell - fossil species from Eocene of New Mexico known only from type localityHolospira haasaiHolospira hamiltoni Dall, 1897 - Hamilton holospiraHolospira haploplaxHolospira hinckleyiHolospira hinkleyiHolospira hoffmaniHolospira hogeanaHolospira hyperiaHolospira insolata
  • † Holospira leidyi - synonym Pupa leidyi Meek - fossil species from Eocene of New MexicoHolospira mariaeHolospira marmorataHolospira maxwelliHolospira mesolia Pilsbry, 1912 - widemouth holospiraHolospira metcalfi F. G. Thompson, 1974 - Metcalf holospiraHolospira milleriHolospira millestriata Pilsbry & Ferriss, 1915Holospira millistriataHolospira minimaHolospira montivaga Pilsbry, 1946 - vagabond holospiraHolospira morelosensisHolospira nelsoniHolospira odontoplaxHolospira orcuttiHolospira oritis Pilsbry & Cheatum, 1951 - mountain holospiraHolospira palmeriHolospira pasonis Dall, 1895 - robust holospiraHolospira pedroanaHolospira pfeifferiHolospira pilocerei Pfr. - type speciesHolospira pilsbryiHolospira pityis Pilsbry & Cheatum, 1951 - pinecone holospiraHolospira psectraHolospira pupaHolospira regis Pilsbry & Cockerell, 1905 - royal holospiraHolospira rehderiHolospira remondiiHolospira rhinionHolospira riograndensis Pilsbry, 1946 - Rio Grande holospiraHolospira saltillensisHolospira scololaemaHolospira sherbrookei Gilbertson, 1989 - Silver Creek holospiraHolospira stalactellaHolospira stenopylisHolospira stenopyusHolospira tantalus Bartsch, 1906 - teasing holospiraHolospira temerosoHolospira teotitlanaHolospira tryoniHolospira whetstonensis Pilsbry & Ferriss, 1923 - Whetstone holospiraHolospira wilmottiHolospira yucatanensis Bartsch, 1906 - Bartsch holospira
  • ''Holospira zygoptyx''