''Xeroplexa setubalensis'' 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 setubalensis (L. Pfeiffer, 1850). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1308902 on 2022-07-28 The taxa was previously placed within the genus ''

Candidula ''Candidula'' is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae, . MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Candidula Kobelt, 1871. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

'' until a molecular phylogenetic study revealed its current status. This

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

is the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

of the genus ''

Xeroplexa ''Xeroplexa'' is a genus of small, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Helicellinae of the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Xeroplex ...

''.

Description

Distribution

''X. setubalensis'' is endemic to the central coast of

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 ...

(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 ...

). Only few populations are known from

Serra da Arrábida Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

and Serra do São Luís, placed in the right side of Sado river. The subspecies ''Xeroplexa setubalensis amanda'' (Bourguignat, 1864) occurs off

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

, Algeria. Bourguignat, Malacologie de l'Algérie, ou, Histoire naturelle des animaux mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles recueillis jusqu'à ce jour dans nos possessions du nord de l'Afrique; Paris, Challamel aine,́ 1864
/ref>

References

External links

* http://luisjavierchueca.com/research-3/candidula-s-l/
Morelet, A. (1845). Description des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles du Portugal. Baillière, Paris. i-vii + 1-115 (+ 1), 14 pls

feiffer, L. (1850). Beschreibungen neuer Landschnecken. Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie. Cassel. 7 (5): 65-80 (July 1850); 7 (6): 81-89 (August 1850)
* Gittenberger, E. (1985). The taxonomic status of Xeroplexa Monterosato, 1892 (Pulmonata: Helicidae: Helicellinae), a surprise. Iberus. 5: 59-62 {{Taxonbar, from=Q65064592 setubalensis Gastropods described in 1850