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Virginia Land Snails
Lucilla singleyana (Pilsbry, 1889)
Family: Helicodiscidae Common name: Smooth Coil
Identification Width: 2-2.5 mm Height: 1 mm or slightly less Whorls: 3+
The tiny, fragile, translucent shell of Lucilla singleyana has a glossy surface marked by growth wrinkles and some additional radial grooves. Under high magnification, very faint spiral lirae may become apparent. The open umbilicus is about one-third the diameter of the entire shell, and the aperture is about the same size as the umbilicus.
In eastern Europe where this species and its relative L. scintilla are introduced, they are distinguished by shell color, size, and shape (Horsák et al, 2009). The shell of Lucilla scintilla is yellowish, smaller, and flatter than L. singleyana. Both Lucilla species have a smooth and glossy shell surface, while Hawaiia species exhibit a crosshatch of fine striae.
Ecology Lucilla singleyana prefers open land, including dry grasslands, bare rock and talus, roadsides, and urban terrain (Nekola, 2009).
Taxonomy Synonyms for Lucilla singleyana include Helicodiscus singleyanus, Helicodiscus (Hebetodiscus) singleyanus singleyanus, Hyalinala eviuscula, H. texana, Zonites singleyanus, and Zonitoides singleyanus. Photo(s): Three views of a tiny Lucilla Distribution singleyana shell by Jeff Nekola ©. This animal is known from much of the northeastern and midwestern United States. In Virginia it is reported from only a few mid-western counties. Click photo(s) to enlarge. NatureServe Global Rank: G5 NatureServe State Rank: S2S4
Meegan Winslow, Ken Hotopp 11/2012
Range Map