Pommerhelix monacha

Pommerhelix monacha is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Camaenidae. This species is found in eastern Australia.

Pommerhelix monacha
An acid-eroded shell of Pommerhelix monacha in the Mount Wilson rainforest, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily:
Helicoidea
Family:
Camaenidae
Genus:
Pommerhelix
Species:
P. monacha
Binomial name
Pommerhelix monacha
(Pfeiffer, 1859)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Helix monacha Pfeiffer, 1859
  • Helix cailleti Crosse, 1864
  • Helix cailleti pallidior Crosse, 1864
  • Helix (Pomatia) monacha
  • Galaxias monacha
  • Helix (Dorcasia) cailleti[3]
  • Helix (Badistes) monacha[4]
  • Helix (Badistes) cailleti
  • Thersites cailleti
  • Hadra monacha
  • Meridolum bowdenae McLauchlan, 1951 (nomen nudum)
  • Badistes bowdenae

Distribution

This snail is found in high altitude rainforests in Blue Mountains,[2] central eastern New South Wales, Australia.

The type locality is "Australia", which can be specified to Sassafras Gully, Springwood, New South Wales, Australia.[2]

Apertural view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha

Description

The shell of Pommerhelix monacha is subglobose (almost round).[2] The shell has 5.6–6.0 whorls. The color of the shell is dark brown to black,[2] but it can also be dark red or purple in colour.[5] The shell sculpture consists of zigzag ridges combined with small ridges on the periostracum.[2] The umbilicus is closed.[2] The aperture is roundly ovate in shape.[2]

The width of the shell is 26.2-30.3 mm.[2] The height of the shell is 18.1-23.2 mm.[2]

The visible soft parts are a yellowish grey in colour:[5] the body is grey to dark grey[2] and the mantle is dark yellow or orange.[2]

An apertural view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha
An umbilical view of a shell of Pommerhelix monacha

References
  1. Pfeiffer L. K. G. (1859). P. Z. S. page 25. plate 43, figure 7.
  2. Clark S. A. (2009). "A review of the land snail genus Meridolum (Gastropoda: Camaenidae) from central New South Wales, Australia". Molluscan Research 29(2): 61-120. abstract.
  3. Tryon G. W. (1887). Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Second series: Pulmonata. Volume 3. Helicidae - Volume I., page 216, plate 50, figs. 27-28.
  4. Pilsbry H. A. (1890). Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. Second series: Pulmonata. Volume 6. Helicidae - Volume IV. page 133, plate 43, fig. 39.
  5. Michael Shea, Australian Museum, personal communication.
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