| Arianta arbustorum | |
|---|---|
| Arianta arbustorum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Helicoidea |
| Family: | Helicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ariantinae |
| Genus: | Arianta |
| Species: | A. arbustorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Arianta arbustorum Linnaeus, 1758[1] |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Helix arbustorum Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
Arianta arbustorum is a medium-sized species of land snail, sometimes known as the "copse snail", a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae.
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Several subspecies are recognized by some authors:
This species is native to Europe:
This species has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively effect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[4]
The shell is usually brown with numerous pale yellowish rows of spots and usually with a brown band above the periphery, occasionally yellowish, reddish or with greenish hue, weakly striated and with fine spiral lines on the upper side.[2] The shell has 5-5.5 convex whorls with deep suture.[2] The last whorl is slightly descending near the aperture.[2] The aperture is with prominent white lip inside.[2] The apertural margin is reflected.[2] Umbilicus is entirely covered by the reflected columellar margin.[2]
The width of the shell is 18-25 mm.[2] The height of the shell is 12-22 mm.[2] Dimensions are locally variable.[2]
The shell shape is globular in most present-day populations, but originally is believed to have been depressed in the Pleistocene, before lowlands were invaded and shells became globular, re-invading mountain regions except some isolated spots among glaciers.[2]
The animal is usually black.[2]
Arianta arbustorum lives in forests and open habitats of any kind.[2] It requires humidity.[2] It lives also in disturbed habitats (not in Ireland where it is restricted to old native woodland).[2] It may locally tolerate non-calcareous substrate, in north Scotland also on sandhills.[2] In the Alps up to 2700 m, in Britain 1200 m, in Bulgaria 1500 m.[2]
It feeds on green herbs, dead animals and faeces.[2]
If snails hatched more than 50 m distant from each other, they are considered isolated since they would not move more than 25 m (neighbourhood area 32-50 m), usually they move about 7-12 m in a year, mostly along water currents.[2]
This species of snail makes and uses calcareous love darts during mating. Reproduction is usually after copulation, but self-fertilization is also possible.[2] The size of the egg is 3.2 mm.[5] Maturity is reached after 2-4 years.[2] The maximum age up to 14 years.[2]
Angiostrongylus vasorum has successfully experimentally infected this snail.[6]
This article incorporates public domain text from the reference [2].