Ruthenica, 2013, vol. 23, No. 2: 127-162. © Ruthenica, 2013 Published online October 15, 2013. http: www.ruthenica.com Family Helicidae excluding Helicinae (Gastropoda Pulmonata): morphology, taxonomy, and a catalogue of taxa A. A. SCHILEYKO A.N. Severtzov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninski prosp. 33, Moscow 119071, RUSSIA. E-mail:
[email protected] urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E2650308-70B2-48E2-B1CA-E630B644179F ABSTRACT. The problem of generic and subgeneric Ariantinae constitute one of the few exceptions: rank in Ariantinae is briefly discussed. A review of generally accepted genera and subgenera (especial- existing views on the system of non-helicine Helicidae ly in the largest genus – Chilostoma) are primarily (Ariantinae, Murellinae, and Thebinae) and differential discriminated on the basis of conchological charac- diagnoses of the taxa are presented. Special attention is ters. paid to the morphology of the atrial stimulator and, At the same time, it should be noted that the especially, penial papilla, because these organs play an important role in evolution of helicoid groups, provid- diversity of shells and especially of the reproductive ing the functioning of a pre-copulatory isolating mech- tract of various Ariantinae is comparatively low. anism. Thus, there is a problem of defining characters that can be used to distinguish taxa. Some years ago, I wrote: “Subdivision of the Introduction genus Helicigona into subgenera at the present time is conditional and is based mainly on conchological The family Helicidae is a rather large group of features whereas anatomy of their type species is snails having European and circummediterranean very similar.