Kingdom Animalia Order Stylommatophora Genus Spermodea Phylum Mollusca | Class Gastropoda Family Valloniidae Scientific name Spermodea lamellata Rank Species | |
Similar Acanthinula aculeata, Acanthinula, Vertigo substriata, Vertigo antivertigo, Prunella grandiflora | ||
Spermodea lamellata is a species of minute European land snail, a terrestrial gastropod mollusc, or micromollusc, in the family Valloniidae.
Contents
Description
For terms see gastropod shell.
The 2-2.2 mm x 2-2.2 mm shell has a characteristic semispherical shape like a bee skep basket. The shell has 6 convex whorls which increase gradually in size. The sutures are deep. The whorls are decorated with very fine, very regular, radial ribs. These ribs function as a diffraction grating, giving the yellow shell a silky appearance.The apertural margin is simple and breaks easily. There are no folds inside the aperture. The umbilicus is narrow. Juveniles are paler with weaker ribs at the lower side, and the umbilicus relatively wider.
Distribution
This species occurs in areas which include:
Habitat
This minute snail lives in ancient woodland.