2017/03/27 by Josef Harl, Elisabeth Haring, Takahiro Asami +3 · 8 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Mollusks and Parasites Studies #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Study of Mite Species
paper · doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx022
openalex publication_date 2017/03/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
So far there has been no consensus regarding the definition of the land snail family Orculidae (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Orthurethra). Here, we present the outcome of a phylogenetic study on the Orculidae including all genus-level taxa ever mentioned to be members of this family except for Speleodentorcula and Walklea. Analyses were performed based on a data set including three mitochondrial (COI, 12S, 16S) and two nuclear (H4/H3, ITS1/5.8S/ITS2) sequence regions. We found polyphyly in multiple cases, and several genera previously assigned to Orculidae are shown to represent distinct lineages within the clade Orthurethra. Only the following genera are included in Orculidae: Alvariella, Orcula, Orculella, Pilorcula, Schileykula and Sphyradium. The sister group of Orculidae is the family Pyramidulidae. The subfamilies Odontocycladinae and Pagodulininae previously have been considered as members of Orculidae, but they represent distinct orthurethran lineages and are both elevated to family level. Argna and Agardhiella have been so far treated as members of Argnidae, but they are neither closely related to each other nor to Orculidae. The family Agardhiellidae Harl & Páll-Gergely fam. nov. is established for Agardhiella. Fauxulus s.l. is also not closely related to Orculidae; therefore, the family Fauxulidae Harl & Páll-Gergely fam. nov. is established for the genus Fauxulus (with the subgenera Fauxulella, Fauxulus and Anisoloma).