The Helminthoglyptinae are a subfamily of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks within the family Xanthonychidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Helminthoglyptinae Pilsbry, 1939. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=994962 on 2021-02-25
This is a large and diverse group of new world snails, ranging in distribution from Alaska through North America to the West Indies, Central America, and as far south as Argentina.
The shells are typically of medium to large size, with no apertural teeth but usually with a reflected apertural lip.
Anatomy In the species in this family, the diverticulum may be present or absent. They possess a single dart apparatus with one stylophore (dart sac) and two mucous glands. These snails use the love dart as part of their mating behavior.
In this subfamily, the number of haploid chromosomes lies between 26 and 30 (according to the values in this table).Barker G. M.: Gastropods on Land: Phylogeny, Diversity and Adaptive Morphology. in Barker G. M. (ed.): The biology of terrestrial molluscs. CABI Publishing, Oxon, UK, 2001, . 1-146, cited pages: 139 and 142.
Taxonomy The basic nomenclature and taxonomy of this large and complex subfamily of land snails has been the subject of many modifications, and the list of genera given here is applicable only when the subfamily is broadly interpreted. Many of these snail genera have been placed by various authors in more restrictively defined families, such as: Cepolidae, Epiphragmophoridae, Humboldtianidae, Monadeniidae, and Xanthonychidae.Burch, John B. (1962). How to know the Eastern Land Snails. Wm. C. Brown Co.: Dubuque IA, 214 pp.Hubricht, Leslie. (1985). The distribution of the native land molluscs of the eastern United States. Fieldiana Zool. 24: 1-191.Pilsbry, Henry A. 1939. Land Mollusca of North America (North of Mexico). Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Monograph 3, vol. 1(1): 1-573.Bouchet, P.; Rocroi, J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda, J.; Hausdorf, B.; Ponder, W.; Valdes, A.; Warén, A. (2005). Classification and nomenclature of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2).
Tribes in the subfamily Helminthoglyptinae include (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):
tribe Helminthoglyptini Pilsbry, 1939 subtribe Helminthoglyptina Pilsbry, 1939: the mucous glands lie adjacent to the vagina or to the sheath of the dart apparatus; the ducts of the glands are provided with bulbous reservoirs. subtribe Micrariontina Schileyko, 1991: the mucous glands lie adjacent to the dart sac; in part the dart apparatus is missing. tribe Sonorelicini Roth, 1996 Subfamily Sonorellinae Pilsbry, 1939: the diverticulum and the dart apparatus are absent.
Genera ITIS listed 16 genera under Helminthoglyptidae. Helminthoglyptidae at Discover Life; accessed 17 Apr. 2008. "BioLib" biological library; accessed 17 Apr. 2008.WoRMS added the two genera Greggelix and Micrarionta, as well as dividing the subfamily into two tribes. They are listed below: Helminthoglyptini Pilsbry, 1939 Cahuillus B. Roth, 1996 Chamaearionta S.S. Berry, 1930 Eremarionta Pilsbry, 1913 Eremariontoides W.B. Miller, 1981 Greggelix W.B. Miller, 1972 Helminthoglypta Ancey, 1887 - type genus of the family Helminthoglyptidae and subtribe Helminthoglyptina Herpeteros Berry, 1947 Micrarionta Ancey, 1880 - type genus of the subtribe Micrariontina Martirelix W.B. Miller, 1982 Noyo Roth, 1996 Plesarionta Pilsbry, 1939 Rothelix Miller, 1985 Sonorelix Berry, 1943 - was listed as type genus of the tribe Sonorelicini Xerarionta Pilsbry, 1913 Sonorellini Pilsbry, 1939 Maricopella Roth, 1996 Mohavelix Berry, 1943 Myotophallus Pilsbry, 1939 Sonorella Pilsbry, 1900 - was listed as type genus of the subfamily Sonorellinae (now Sonorellini)
Genera listed below has an unknown origin: Averellia Ancey, 1887 Cepolis Montfort, 1810 Dialeuca Albers, 1850 Hemitrochus Swainson, 1840 Humboldtiana Ihering, 1892 Leptarionta Fischer & Crosse, 1872 Polymita Beck, 1837 Setipellis Pilsbry, 1926 Tryonigens Pilsbry, 1927
The taxon listed below was moved into another taxon: Xanthonyx Crosse & Fischer, 1867: Now under Xanthonychidae.
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