Spiraxidae

Spiraxidae is a family of predatory air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropods in the superfamily Testacelloidea.

Distribution

The distribution of this family is Neotropical.

Taxonomy

2005 taxonomy

The family Spiraxidae is classified within the informal group Sigmurethra, itself belonging to the clade Stylommatophora within the clade Eupulmonata.
The family Spiraxidae consists of the following subfamilies:

Spiraxinae H. B. Baker, 1939
Micromeninae Schileyko, 2000

2010 taxonomy

Thompson redefined subfamilies in the Spiraxidae, moving Euglandininae and Streptostylinae to become subfamilies of Spiraxidae. According to their work, there are three subfamilies within the Spiraxidae:

Spiraxinae H. B. Baker, 1939 - including Micromena
Euglandininae H. B. Baker, 1941
Streptostylinae H. B. Baker, 1941

Apparently this system of classification is not universally accepted, as Fauna Europaea uses different systematics for the subfamily Euglandininae, still placing it within the family Oleacinidae.

Genera

Genera in the family Spiraxidae include:
Subfamily Spiraxinae include seven genera:

Mayaxis Thompson, 1995
Micromena H. B. Baker, 1939 - this was the type genus of the subfamily Micromeninae
Miraradula Baker, 1939
Pseudosubulina Strebel & Pfeffer, 1882
Rectaxis Baker, 1926
Spiraxis C. B. Adams, 1850 - type genus of family Spiraxidae
Volutaxis Strebel & Pfeffer, 1882

Subfamily Euglandininae

Euglandina Crosse & P. Fischer, 1870 - type genus of the subfamily Euglandininae
Guillarmodia H. B. Baker, 1941
Pittieria von Martens, 1901
Poiretia Fischer, 1883
Varicoglandina Pilsbry, 1908
Varicoturris Pilsbry, 1907

Subfamily Streptostylinae

Myxastyla Thompson, 1995
Oryzosoma Pilsbry, 1891
Salasiella Strebel, 1877
Strebelia Crosse & Fischer, 1868
Streptostyla Shuttleworth, 1852 - type genus of the subfamily Streptostylinae

Ecology

These land snails are carnivorous and predatory.