Status, Conservation, and Management of the Land Snails of the Genus Powelliphanta (Mollusca: Pulmonata)
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New Zealand Journal of Zoology ISSN: 0301-4223 (Print) 1175-8821 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzz20 Status, conservation, and management of the land snails of the genus Powelliphanta (Mollusca: Pulmonata) M. J. Meads , K. J. Walker & G. P. Elliott To cite this article: M. J. Meads , K. J. Walker & G. P. Elliott (1984) Status, conservation, and management of the land snails of the genus Powelliphanta (Mollusca: Pulmonata), New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 11:3, 277-306, DOI: 10.1080/03014223.1984.10428241 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03014223.1984.10428241 Published online: 02 Feb 2012. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 407 View related articles Citing articles: 22 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnzz20 Download by: [125.239.126.83] Date: 05 September 2017, At: 03:30 New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1984, Vol. 11: 277-306 277 0301-4223/84/1103-0277$2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1984 Status, conservation, and management of the land snails of the genus Powelliphanta (Mollusca: Pulmonata) M. J. MEADS RESULTS K. J. WALKERI Powelliphanta marchanti Powell, 1932 ...................... 281 Powelliphanta traversi G. P. ELLIOTP P. t. traversi Powell, 1930 ........................................ 285 Ecology Division fa. 'koputaroa' ....................................................... 285 fa. 'florida' ............................................................. 285 Department of Scientific and Industrial Research fa. 'Iatizona' ........................................................... 285 Private Bag, Lower Hutt, New Zealand fa. 'tararuaensis' .................................................... 286 P. t. otakia Powell, 1946 .......................................... 286 Powelliphanta gilliesi P. g. gifliesi Smith, 1880 .......................................... 286 Abstract The distribution and the condition of P. g. subfusca Powell, 1930 ..................................... 287 the habitat of each of the land snails in the genus P. g. kahurangica Powell, 1936 ............................... 288 P. g. brunnea Powell, 1938 ...................................... 288 Powelliphanta are presented and the predation on P. g. aurea Powell, 1946 .......................................... 288 each is reported. Distribution was assessed from P. g. fallax Powell, 1930 .......................................... 288 field surveys and the literature, habitat from the P. g. montana Powell, 1936 .................................... 289 condition of the vegetation, and predation from P. g. jamesoni Powell, 1936 .................................... 289 collections of empty shells showing diagnostic pat- Powelliphanta superba P. s. superba Powell, 1930 ....................................... 290 terns of damage by rats, pigs, wekas, either kakas P. s. prouseorum Powell, 1946 ................................ 291 or keas or both, and either European blackbirds or P. s. richardsoni Powell, 1946 ................................. 291 song thrushes or both. The current status of each P. s. harveyi Powell, 1946 ........................................ 291 member of the genus is thereby assessed, and all P. s. mouatae Powell, 1936 ..................................... 291 are ranked in order of conservation priority. Powe/liphanta hochstetteri P. h. hochstetteri (Pfeiffer, 1862) ............................. 291 All members of the genus have suffered to some P. h. anatokiensis Powell, 1938 ............................... 292 extent from habitat loss, habitat modification by P. h. obscura (Beutler, 1901) ................................... 293 browsing ungulates, and predation by introduced P. h. bic%r Powell, 1930 ........................................ 293 predators since European settlement of New P. h. consobrina Powell, 1936 ................................. 295 Zealand. A few members of the genus are close to Powelliphanta !ignaria P. I. !ignaria Hutton, 1888 ...................................... 295 extinction. Management recommendations are P. I. lusca Powell, 1949 ............................................ 295 made for all vulnerable members of the genus. P. I. unicolorata Powell, 1930 ................................. 295 P. I. ruforadiata Powell, 1949 .................................. 296 P. I. johnstoni Powell, 1946 ..................................... 296 Keywords Mollusca; Pulmonata; Powelli- P. I. rotella Powell, 1938 .......................................... 296 Downloaded by [125.239.126.83] at 03:30 05 September 2017 phanta; status; conservation; predators; forest P. I. oconnori Powell, 1938 ...................................... 296 modification; habitat destruction; New Zealand; Powelliphanta annectens Powell, 1936 ........................ 297 land snail Powelliphanta rossiana and Powelliphanta spedeni P. r. rossiana Powell, 1930 ...................................... 298 P. r. patrickensis Powell, 1949 ................................ 298 CONTENTS P. r. gagei Powell, 1938 ........................................... 298 P. r. jletcheri Powell, 1938 ....................................... 298 Page P. s. spedeni Powell, 1932 ........................................ 299 INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 278 P. s. lateumbi!icata Powell, 1946 ............................ 299 METHODS .......................................................................... 279 Powelliphanla jiordlandica C1imo, 1971 .................... 299 Collection ...................................................................... 279 DISCUSSION ...................................................................... 299 Analysis ......................................................................... 280 RANKING ........................................................................... 302 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................... 304 Received 16 December 1983; accepted 2 April 1984 REFERENCES ..................................................................... 304 IPresent address: Wildlife Service, Department of Inter- APPENDICES nal Affairs, Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand 1 Recommendations .................................................... 305 2Present address: l5a Kotari Road, Eastbourne, New 2 Plant names ............................................................... 305 Zealand 3 Collectors/collections ................................................ 306 278 New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1984, Vol. 11 INTRODUCTION growth. The annual growth rings (Fig. 2d) show more clearly than do the intermediate rings on these New Zealand has 3 genera of large, conspicuous shells, and similar growth rings are impressed in land snails. The members of 2 genera (Powelli- many shells of all the larger species of Powelli- phanta and Paryphanta), are carnivorous; all are phanta. From ring counts, or the increase in shell commonly called "Paryphantas"; the third genus, diameter from hatching (10 mm) to the larger shells Placostylus, contains the vegetarian 'flax snails'. The of the species (60-70 mm), it seems that indi- numbers of species and distribution of all 3 genera viduals live 40 years or more. have diminished since the arrival of European man Powelliphanta are cross-fertilising hermaphrod- in New Zealand. This paper considers the present ites. They lay their relatively large eggs (P. h. hoch- status of Powelliphanta, the genus which includes stetteri, 12xlO mm: P. g. gilliesi, 9x8 mm; P. s. the largest and most conspicuously marked of New superba, 14x 12 mm) in leaf litter in late October, Zealand's land snails. November, and December (O'Connor 1945). The genus Powelliphanta was, until recently, Powelliphanta usually live in the deep, moist, considered to be a subgenus of Paryphanta, but non-acidic leaf mould that accumulates under some Climo (1976) considered it different enough to war- types of forest and scrub. As in most land snails, rant full generic status and he placed Powelliphanta Powelliphanta have no operculum, nor can they and Paryphanta in the family Rhytididae (previ- conserve moisture by sealing the shell with an epi- ously Paryphantidae). The family has an extensive phragm. Because they are prone to dehydration and range, from South Africa to New Guinea, some of cannot survive in dry conditions, they are most the high islands of the south-western Pacific, Aus- active at night and in wet weather, and are more tralia, and New Zealand (Powell 1979). Powelli- common in moist high-altitude forest than in drier phanta is, however, endemic to New Zealand. Most forests at lower altitudes. local forms are found in the southern North Island Their staple food is earthworms, but they also and the northern South Island but the genus ranges eat slugs, other snails (Powell 1979), and millipedes from Mt Egmont and Lake Waikaremoana in the (K. Brown, in litt.). north to Resolution Island, Lake Monowai, and the The influence of calcium on land snails has long Mataura Range in the south. been recognised (e.g., Pfeiffer 1861) and most Pow- Dell (1955) lists subfossil Powelliphanta from elliphanta are closely associated with calcium-rich Ruakokopatuna, lower Wairarapa; Patoka and soils. Waewaepa, Hawkes Bay; upper Waitotara River, As early as 1930, Powell (1930) noted that snails Taranaki; Te Kuiti; Mangaroa Valley, Wellington; were eaten by wekas (Gallirallus australis), rats and Punipaua, western Nelson. (Rattus spp.)