''Xeroplexa ponsulensis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of air-breathing

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

, a terrestrial

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates, is an informal group (previously an order, and before that a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group includ ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the family

Geomitridae Geomitridae is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Family (biology), family of small to medium-sized air-breathing land snails, Terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). M ...

. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Xeroplexa ponsulensis (D. T. Holyoak & G. A. Holyoak, 2014). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1308900 on 2022-07-30 The species epithet ''ponsulensis'' is an adjective derived from the type locality near the Rio Pônsul.

Description

Strongly convex to convex above, flattened below, with 5.2–5.8

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...

. Whorls rounded, sometimes with slight peripheral keel (the keel prominent in subadults); sutures shallow on most of spire, often deeper above last half of body whorl. Umbilicus rather narrow, symmetrical, deep, partly overlapped by reflected peristome, exposing upper whorls in oblique view. Mouth broadly oval, except where interrupted by penultimate whorl; last half of body whorl expanding and often descending markedly below penultimate whorl, sometimes also with downturn just behind edge of mouth. Mouth edge thin, reflected only near umbilicus. Shell rather thin, often translucent; weakly glossy above, more strongly glossy beneath. Ground colour on upperside pale to light brown, often with orange or pinkish tinge, paler on underside; the upperside usually with interrupted band of red-brown to dark brown blotches near periphery, remainder variably blotched or suffused brown and light buff, the rib crests often pale; underside almost unmarked to weakly marked with thin brown bands (often interrupted), thin translucent bands, or buff spots. Transverse ribs mainly rather weak, especially on underside of shell where they are sometimes absent or weakly indicated. Spiral lines strong on underside of shell.

Distribution

Endemic to western

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

. In eastern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, is known from localities in dry regions on acidic rocks in south

Beira Alta Beira Alta may refer to: * Beira Alta Province, a province in the north of Portugal * Beira Alta (region) Beira Alta was one of the 13 regions of continental Portugal identified by geographer Amorim Girão, in a study published between 1927 and 193 ...

Beira Baixa Beira Baixa may refer to the following places in Portugal: *Beira Baixa Province, a former administrative division *Beira Baixa (intermunicipal community) The Comunidade Intermunicipal da Beira Baixa () is an administrative division in eastern Po ...

and east of Baixo Alentejo.

References

* Holyoak, D.T. & G.A. Holyoak (2014). A review of the genus Candidula in Portugal with notes on other populations in Western Europe (Gastropoda, Pulmonata: Hygromiidae). Journal of Conchology, 41 (6): 629-672.

External links

* http://luisjavierchueca.com/research-3/candidula-s-l/ {{Taxonbar, from=Q65057331 ponsulensis Gastropods described in 2014