Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs - 7 



The Introduced Zonitids 



The pulmonale land snail family 

 /■•nitidae is represented in Victoria by 

 i number of introductions; rise 

 t uropean species have been identified 

 Mere and one or two other species may 

 v present in the northern part of the 

 StatC ' he live species are Oxyclulus 



tflarfus (Mullen, o. drapmtaW 



Heck) and O alliarius (Miller). 

 Urea eoHflWtn (Westeilund) and 

 .uciitutltis fulvns- (Muller). 



in Oxyctlilus ibe sWt) k low spared 



.ml the Victorian species have a wide 

 .entral perforation (umbilicus) at the 

 •use. the shell has a glossy surface, is 

 horn to greyish yellow in colour, and 

 % paler below than above. The species 

 .re best diMinguishcd by a eombina- 



ion of shell characters and the 



ppearanec of the animal. 



FtHorfo 



Thfi hW bent verified from flva 

 •lies in central Victoria including 

 Melbourne, and has a greyish-yellow 

 shell up to 10 mm. in diameter with 

 5 whorls when fully grown. The 

 mimal is grey, somewhat darker on 

 •he head and the edge of the mantle 

 l speckled nub brown t visible under 

 I lens I Nvtlhet of the other two 

 peck* «'l Otuiiihi* identified in Vic- 

 una has ibis speckling 

 I). (Iraparualdi 1 1 if IJ 



This is common in and around 

 Htibourne. It H ibe la*»** ,lf ,,lt ' 



hrce species and Ihe shell m..\ fTO* 

 up to 15 mm in diameter with seven 

 tvhorls. The shell is hoin eolourcil 



ratying in s,latlc ln "" f ,,llc 1,1 



is ollcn slightly expanded fKttl (Hfl 

 mouth and has tclativclv piomincnl 

 line- ol growth. The annual is blue- 

 ;>rey including the foot, and has a 

 .lark grey mantle edge. 



December, 1V71 



O. alliarius 



Practically State-wide in its distri- 

 bution, it is the smallest ot the three 

 species growing to just over 7 nun. m 

 shell diameter, with five svhorls. and 

 has a horn coloured shell. The anim.il 

 is slatv hlue-hlaek with a grey loot 

 and emits a smell of garlic on with- 

 drawing mm its shell when alarmed 

 Vitrca contracts 



It has only been identified in Vic 

 toria once — at decking in l%7. It 

 has a small semi-transparent white 

 shell up to 2,7 mm. in diametei 

 roughly similar to an OxychUibi in 

 •h;ipc. The animal is greyish white. 

 It may occur elsesvherc in settled 

 areas and should he looked lor 

 Euconnlus fulvus 



This was found at Cann River ,n 

 I92« (C J. Gabriel). Vuiorhw Nut. 

 46 (6) 130-134-1: it has Q small 

 g)0SSy reddish brown shell up to 3.0 

 mm. diameter with a conical spire and 

 no umbilicus. The animal ft gtes 

 black. 



The Zonitidae are omnivorous, 

 mainly noclurnal snails, and do not 

 constitute molluscan pests. They 

 should he encouraged in gardens be- 

 cause they eal olhet snails and slugs. 

 Neailv a'H the Victorian /onitidae 

 records are from settlements or 

 cleared land but O. ullititinx has been 

 F6UDd iw'ice in semi-open loresl. 



liu. I- Qintokt tlwpmmiUli 



357 



