Bradybaena virgo virgo (Pilsbry, 1927)

Wang, Pei, Xiao, Qiong, Zhou, Wei-Chuan & Hwang, Chung-Chi, 2014, Revision of three camaenid and one bradybaenid species (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) from China based on morphological and molecular data, with description of a new bradybaenid subspecies from Inner Mongolia, China, ZooKeys 372, pp. 1-16 : 7-8

Bradybaena virgo virgo (Pilsbry, 1927) Figs 2D; 4D

Ganesella virgo Pilsbry, 1927: 461, pl. 35, f. 7.7a.

Ganesella murensis , Cockerell, 1926: 227.

Fruticicola virgo , Kuroda, 1941: 27-28.

Bradybaena (Virginihelix) virgo , Kuroda, 1949, 64, f. 30.

Bradybaena (Virginihelix) virgo , Habe, 1956, f. 1.

Ganesella virgo , Chen and Gao 1987: 108, f. 138.

Type locality.

Uiju, North Pyongan, North Korea.

Material examined.

Plant Park of Haerbin, Heilongjiang (Aug. 26, 2008, 45°42'31"N, 126°38'38"E; FJIQBC 18432-18462); Suburb of Jidong, Heilongjiang (Aug. 29, 2008, 45°14'57", 131°09'01"E; FJIQBC 18463-18465).

Shell.

Dextral,medium sized, about 12.0 mm in height, 13.5 mm in width, thin but solid, semitranslucent, glossy, spherical. Whorls 6-6 1/2. Apex sharp. Suture deep. Spire conical, slowly increasing, convex. Body whorl fast expanding, convex, about 3/4 of height of shell. Surface pale white or yellow, with dense and clear growth lines, and unambiguous spiral lines. Aperture descending at the front, elliptical. Peristome reflected. Columellar lip reflected, partly covering umbilicus. Umbilicus small.

Reproductive system.

Penis long, slender, moderately wide. Flagellum absent. Penis retractor muscle thin, wide and short. Vas deferens short and slender. Oviduct short and inflated. Dart sac large, oval, with one smaller accessory sac. One mucus gland, kinkled. Pedunculus of bursa copulatrix slender, short. Bursa copulatrix oval.

Ecology.

The snail often lives on damp pastures, especially near ditch, or in grass.

Remark.

This species is the first intermediate host of Eurytrema pancreaticum , a parasite of humans and livestock ( Tang et al. 1979; Tang et al. 1980; Gu et al. 1990). Recently, several studies on bionomics and control measures of the snail have been published. However, the taxonomic status has been unclear ( Zhu et al. 1989; 1990). Originally assigned to the Camaenidae , Ganesella virgo has subsequently been transferred to the Bradybaenidae based on anatomical and shell features by Kuroda (1941, 1949) and Habe (1956). This treatment, however, has been widely neglected by Chinese workers. In the present study, we dissected several specimens collected in Haerbin and Jidong, Heilongjiang, and found that anatomical characters were in concordance with the description of Kuroda (1941, 1949) and Habe (1956). In addition, the molecular phylogeny confirmed close relationships with other species in Bradybaena . Thus, Ganesella virgo is correctly placed in Bradybaena .