Drymaeus
| Drymaeus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Drymaeus strigatus from Peru | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Suborder: | Helicina |
| Superfamily: | Orthalicoidea |
| Family: | Bulimulidae |
| Genus: | Drymaeus Albers, 1850 |
| Type species | |
| Helix hygrohylaea d'Orbigny, 1835 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| ca. 300 species | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
List
| |
Drymaeus is a large genus of medium-sized, air-breathing tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs belonging to the subfamily Peltellinae within the family Bulimulidae. It is one of the most species-rich genera among Neotropical land mollusks, comprising approximately 300 species distributed from Florida through Central and South America.
Taxonomy and etymology
[edit]The name Drymaeus was first introduced by Johann Christian Albers in 1850 as a subgenus of Bulimus Bruguière, 1789.[3] The name stems from the greek word δρῦς (drys), meaning "tree" or "oak",[4] the word drymaeus itself meaning "lives in the woods".[5] The genus continues to be the subject of active taxonomic and evolutionary research. Currently, it is classified within the family Bulimulidae, a group of mostly arboreal snails in the superfamily Orthalicoidea.[6] Historically, classification within Drymaeus has relied heavily on shell morphology, but this approach has proven problematic due to extensive phenotypic plasticity and convergent evolution. As a result, several species were misclassified or synonymized prematurely.[7][1]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Drymaeus species are primarily distributed throughout the Neotropical region, from Florida and Mexico[8] through Central America and into South America, including the Amazon basin, the Andean foothills, and the Atlantic Forest and other biomes in Brazil and Argentina.[1][7]
Most species are arboreal or semi-arboreal,[1] favoring moist, shaded environments such as lowland rainforests and cloud forests. They are typically found on leaves, tree trunks, and in leaf litter, where humidity levels are high. Their diet consists mainly of biofilm, algae, and decaying plant material. Many species exhibit narrow ecological tolerances and specialized habitat requirements, making them vulnerable to deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Consequently, numerous species within the genus are likely threatened, although few have been formally assessed due to taxonomic uncertainties.[1]
Species
[edit]About 300 species are currently classified under the genus Drymaeus.[1] Due to ongoing taxonomic revisions, the precise number is subject to change; some species previously belonging to Drymaeus have been moved to Antidrymaeus and Mesembrinus. Both were formerly considered subgenera of Drymaeus, but were elevated to genus level to reflect recent research on their evolution and relationships.[7][6][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Rosa, Rafael M.; Salvador, Rodrigo B.; Cavallari, Daniel C. (2025). "The disappearing act of the magician tree snail: anatomy, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships of Drymaeus magus (Gastropoda: Bulimulidae), a long-lost species hidden in plain sight". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 203 (3): zlaf017. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf017. ISSN 0024-4082.
- ^ MolluscaBase. "MolluscaBase - Drymaeus Albers, 1850". www.molluscabase.org. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ^ Albers, Johann C. (1850). Die heliceen nach natürlicher verwandtschaft systematisch geordnet (in German). Berlin: T.C.F. Enslin.
- ^ Brown, R. W. (1954). Composition of Scientific Words (PDF). Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Published by the author. p. 27.
- ^ Albers, Johann C. (1860). Die Heliceen nach natürlicher Verwandtschaft systematisch geordnet von Joh. Christ. Albers (in German) (2 ed.). Leipzig: Engelman. pp. 1–359.
- ^ a b Salvador, Rodrigo B.; Silva, Fernanda S.; Cavallari, Daniel C.; Köhler, Frank; Slapcinsky, John; Breure, Abraham S. H. (2023). "Molecular phylogeny of the Orthalicoidea land snails: Further support and surprises". PLOS ONE. 18 (7): e0288533. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1888533S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0288533. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 10370776. PMID 37494326.
- ^ a b c Breure, Abraham S. H.; Llosa, Zaidett Barrientos; Monge-Nájera, Julián; Salvador, Rodrigo B.; Robinson, David G. (26 September 2024). "Is being "blue" being different? The status of Antidrymaeus L. Germain, 1907 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Bulimulidae), with notes on miscellaneous species of Drymaeus Albers, 1850 and Mesembrinus Albers, 1850". Archiv für Molluskenkunde International Journal of Malacology. 153 (2): 135–162. Bibcode:2024ArMol.153..135B. doi:10.1127/arch.moll/153/135-162.
- ^ Thompson F. G. (2008). "AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE LAND AND FRESHWATER SNAILS OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA" central_america_snail_checklist/index.htm Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine. "PART 3 PART 3 (ORTHALICOIDEA)". accessed 17 May 2011.
- ^ Breure A. S. H. & Romero P. (2012). "Support and surprises: molecular phylogeny of the land snail superfamily Orthalicoidea using a three-locus gene analysis with a divergence time analysis and ancestral area reconstruction (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora)". Archiv für Molluskenkunde: International Journal of Malacology 141(1): 1-20. doi:10.1127/arch.moll/1869-0963/141/001-020.
External links
[edit]- Tree snails of Florida, Drymaeus spp. on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures website
