Plectopylidae
Introduction '''Plectopylidae''' is a taxonomic family of large air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Plectopyloidea.
Distribution The range of the family Plectopylidae (''Plectopylis'' Benson 1860 s. l.) extends from Nepal and Northeastern India through large part of Southeastern Asia (including the Malay Peninsula, Northern Thailand, Northern Vietnam, Central and Southern China) to Taiwan and Southern Japan. Up to now, the distribution of Plectopylidae is divided into two geographic regions: (1) Nepal, Northeastern India (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, western Yunnan, western part of Thailand, Northern Malaysia and northwestern part of Laos, and (2) Northern Vietnam, Southern China (west of the Eastern Yunnan–Guizhou–Middle Sichuan line), Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.
Taxonomy This family has two subfamilies:* Plectopylinae Möllendorff, 1898* Sinicolinae Páll-Gergely, 2018
Genera Genera within the family Plectopylidae include:; Plectopylinae Möllendorff, 1898:* ''Chersaecia'' Gude, 1899* ''Hunyadiscus'' Páll-Gergely, 2016* ''Naggsia'' Páll-Gergely & Muratov, 2016* ''Plectopylis'' Benson, 1860 - the type genus of the family Plectopylidae;Sinicolinae Páll-Gergely, 2018* ''Endothyrella'' Zilch, 1959* ''Gudeodiscus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013** subgenus ''Gudeodiscus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013** subgenus ''Veludiscus'' Páll-Gergely, 2015* ''Halongella'' Páll-Gergely, 2015* † ''Plectopyloides'' Yen, 1969 - fossil genus from China* ''Sicradiscus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013* ''Sinicola'' Gude, 1899;Genera brought into synonymy:* ''Endoplon'' Gude, 1899: synonym of ''Chersaecia'' Gude, 1899 (junior synonym)* ''Endothyra'' Gude, 1899: synonym of ''Endothyrella'' Zilch, 1960Gerard Kalshoven Gude revised every known taxon of ''Plectopylis'' at the end of the 19th century, and he published drawings of their shells and armature (lamella complex). He subdivided ''Plectopylis'' into seven “sections”: ''Endothyra'', ''Chersaecia'', ''Endoplon'', ''Plectopylis'', ''Sinicola'', ''Enteroplax'' Gude, 1899 and ''Sykesia'' Gude, 1897. ''Enteroplax'' was transferred to the family Strobilopsidae Wenz, 1915. ''Ruthvenia'' Gude, 1911 (replacement name for ''Sykesia'' which itself was a replacement name for ''Austenia'' Gude, 1897) was transferred to the family Endodontidae Pilsbry, 1895 or to the Charopidae Hutton, 1884.The name ''Endothyrella'' was established by Zilch (1960) to replace the generic name ''Endothyra'' Gude, 1899, that is a junior homonym of foraminiferan genus ''Endothyra'' Phillips, 1845.Genus ''Amphicoelina'' Haas, 1933 was classified within Plectopylidae before, but it was moved to Camaenidae in 2013.Gude's diagnoses of his sections are based on the direction of the coiling of the shell, the depth of the umbilicus, and the morphology and direction of the palatal folds. Most of Gude's diagnoses are not mutually exclusive. Moreover, several species were misassigned by Gude, which was probably the result of focusing exclusively on the morphology of the parietal plicae. Most of plectopylid species were reviewed and some were reassigned by Barna Páll-Gergely and his colleagues in 2013-2016.
Overview of species Species within the family Plectopylidae include:# ''Chersaecia austeni'' (Gude, 1899)# ''Chersaecia brachydiscus'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879)# ''Chersaecia degerbolae'' (Solem, 1966)# ''Chersaecia dextrorsa'' (Benson, 1860)# ''Chersaecia kengtungensis'' (Gude, 1914)# ''Chersaecia leiophis'' (Benson, 1860) - type species, synonym: ''Chersaecia pseudophis'' Godwin-Austen, 1875# ''Chersaecia munipurensis'' (Godwin-Austen, 1875)# ''Chersaecia muspratti'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Chersaecia nagaensis'' (Godwin-Austen, 1875)# ''Chersaecia perarcta'' (Blanford, 1865)# ''Chersaecia perrierae'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Chersaecia refuga'' (Gould, 1846)# ''Chersaecia shanensis'' (Stoliczka, 1873)# ''Chersaecia shiroiensis'' (Godwin-Austen, 1875)# ''Chersaecia simplex'' (Solem, 1966)# ''Endoplon brachyplecta'' (Benson, 1863) - type species# ''Endoplon smithiana'' (Gude, 1896)# ''Endothyrella aborensis'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella affinis'' (Gude, 1896)# ''Endothyrella angulata'' Budha & Páll-Gergely, 2015# ''Endothyrella babbagei'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella brahma'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879)# ''Endothyrella bedfordi'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella blanda'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Endothyrella dolakhaensis'' Budha & Páll-Gergely, 2015# ''Endothyrella fultoni'' (Godwin-Austen, 1892)# ''Endothyrella gregorsoni'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella inexpectata'' Páll-Gergely, 2015# ''Endothyrella macromphalus'' (W. Blanford, 1870)# ''Endothyrella minor'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879)# ''Endothyrella miriensis'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella nepalica'' Budha & Páll-Gergely, 2015# ''Endothyrella oakesi'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Endothyrella oglei'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879) - synonym: ''Chersaecia oglei'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879)# ''Endothyrella pinacis'' (Benson, 1859) - synonym: ''Endothyrella pettos'' (von Martens, 1868)# ''Endothyrella plectostoma'' (Benson, 1836) - type species, subspecies: ''Endothyrella plectostoma prodigium'' (Benson); ''Endothyrella plectostoma exerta'' (Gude, 1901)# ''Endothyrella robustistriata'' Páll-Gergely, 2015# ''Endothyrella serica'' (Godwin-Austen, 1875) - synonym: ''Chersaecia serica'' (Godwin-Austen, 1875)# ''Endothyrella sowerbyi'' (Gude, 1898)# ''Endothyrella tricarinata'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Endothyrella williamsoni'' (Gude, 1915)# ''Gudeodiscus anceyi'' (Gude, 1901)# ''Gudeodiscus concavus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus cyrtochilus'' (Gude, 1909)# ''Gudeodiscus dautzenbergi'' (Gude, 1901) - synonym: ''Gudeodiscus persimilis'' (Gude, 1901)# ''Gudeodiscus emigrans'' (Möllendorff, 1901) - subspecies: ''Gudeodiscus emigrans otanii'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013; ''Gudeodiscus emigrans quadrilamellatus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus eroessi'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013 - subspecies: ''Gudeodiscus eroessi fuscus'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013; ''Gudeodiscus eroessi hemisculptus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus fischeri'' (Gude, 1901) - synonym: ''Gudeodiscus tenuis'' (Gude, 1901)# ''Gudeodiscus francoisi'' (H. Fischer, 1899) - synonyms: ''Gudeodiscus lepidus'' (Gude, 1900); ''Gudeodiscus bavayi'' (Gude, 1901)''Gudeodiscus giardi''# ''Gudeodiscus giardi'' (H. Fischer, 1898) - synonym: ''Gudeodiscus congestus'' (Gude, 1898); subspecies: ''Gudeodiscus giardi szekeresi'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013; ''Gudeodiscus giardi oharai'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus goliath'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus hemmeni'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2015# ''Gudeodiscus infralevis'' (Gude, 1908) - synonym: ''Gudeodiscus soror'' (Gude, 1908)# ''Gudeodiscus longiplica'' Páll-Gergely & Asami, 2016# ''Gudeodiscus marmoreus'' Páll-Gergely, 2014# ''Gudeodiscus messageri'' (Gude, 1909) - subspecies: ''Gudeodiscus messageri raheemi'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2015# ''Gudeodiscus multispira'' (Möllendorff, 1883)# ''Gudeodiscus okuboi'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus phlyarius'' (Mabille, 1887) - type species, synonyms: ''Gudeodiscus moellendorffi'' (Gude, 1901); ''Gudeodiscus gouldingi'' (Gude, 1909); ''Gudeodiscus verecundus'' (Gude, 1909); ''Gudeodiscus fallax'' (Gude, 1909); ''Gudeodiscus anterides'' (Gude, 1909); ''Gudeodiscus phlyarius werneri'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus pulvinaris'' (Gould, 1859) - subspecies: ''Gudeodiscus pulvinaris robustus'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus soosi'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus suprafilaris'' (Gude, 1908)# ''Gudeodiscus ursula'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Gudeodiscus villedaryi'' (Ancey, 1888)# ''Gudeodiscus yanghaoi'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013 # ''Gudeodiscus yunnanensis'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Halongella fruhstorferi'' (Möllendorff, 1901) - synonym: ''Gudeodiscus fruhstorferi'' (Möllendorff, 1901)''Halongella schlumbergeri''# ''Halongella schlumbergeri'' (Morlet, 1886) - type species, synonym: ''Gudeodiscus schlumbergeri'' (Morlet, 1886); ''Gudeodiscus jovius'' (Mabille, 1887); ''Gudeodiscus hirsutus'' (Möllendorff, 1901); ''Gudeodiscus pilsbryana'' (Gude, 1901)# ''Hunyadiscus andersoni'' (W. Blanford, 1869) - synonym: ''Chersaecia andersoni'' (W. Blanford, 1869) # ''Hunyadiscus saurini'' Páll-Gergely, 2016''Naggsia laomontana''# ''Naggsia laomontana'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1862) - synonym: ''Chersaecia laomontana'' (L. Pfeiffer, 1862)# ''Plectopylis bensoni'' (Gude, 1914) - type species# ''Plectopylis anguina'' (Gould, 1847)# ''Plectopylis cairnsi'' (Gude, 1898)# ''Plectopylis cyclaspis'' (Benson, 1859) - synonym: ''Plectopylis revoluta'' Pfeiffer, 1867# ''Plectopylis feddeni'' (W. Blanford, 1865)# ''Plectopylis karenorum'' (W. Blanford, 1865)# ''Plectopylis goniobathmos'' (Ehrmann, 1922)# ''Plectopylis leucochila'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Plectopylis linterae'' (Möllendorff, 1897)# ''Plectopylis lissochlamys'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Plectopylis magna'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Plectopylis ponsonbyi'' (Godwin-Austen, 1888)# ''Plectopylis repercussa'' (Gould, 1856)# ''Plectopylis woodthorpei'' (Gude, 1899)# ''Sicradiscus cutisculptus'' (Möllendorff, 1882)# ''Sicradiscus diptychia'' (Möllendorff, 1885)# ''Sicradiscus feheri'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Sicradiscus hirasei'' (Pilsbry, 1904)# ''Sicradiscus invius'' (Heude, 1885)# ''Sicradiscus ishizakii'' (Kuroda, 1941)# ''Sicradiscus mansuyi'' (Gude, 1908)# ''Sicradiscus schistoptychia'' (Möllendorff, 1886) - type species# ''Sicradiscus securus'' (Heude, 1885)# ''Sicradiscus transitus'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Sinicola asamiana'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Sinicola alphonsi'' (Deshayes, 1870)# ''Sinicola biforis'' (Heude, 1885)# ''Sinicola emoriens'' (Gredler, 1881)# ''Sinicola fimbriosa'' (Martens, 1875) - type species# ''Sinicola jugatoria'' (Ancey, 1885) - synonym: ''Sinicola laminifera'' (Möllendorff, 1885)# ''Sinicola murata'' (Heude, 1885)# ''Sinicola reserata'' (Heude, 1885) - subspecies: ''Sinicola reserata azona'' (Gredler, 1887); ''Sinicola reserata hensanensis'' (Yen, 1939)# ''Sinicola schmackeri'' Páll-Gergely, 2013# ''Sinicola stenochila'' (Möllendorff, 1885) - subspecies: ''Sinicola stenochila basilia'' (Gude, 1897)# ''Sinicola stenomphala'' Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2013# ''Sinicola straeleni'' (Yen, 1937)# ''Sinicola vallata'' (Heude, 1889)# ''Sinicola vargabalinti'' Páll-Gergely, 2014* ''Endothyrella hanleyi'' (Godwin-Austen, 1879) - nomen dubiumFossil species:# † ''Plectopyloides altus''# † ''Plectopyloides applanatus''# † ''Plectopyloides guanzhuangensis''# † ''Plectopyloides multispiralus''# † ''Plectopyloides regularus'' - type species of the genus ''Plectopyloides''# † ''Plectopyloides shantungensis'' Yen, 1969
Ecology Plectopylid species seem to be associated with calcareous areas in Vietnam. Living specimens occur at the base of large limestone rocks surrounded by leaf litter and humus. Thus, they are not rock-dwelling but ground-dwelling. Most living species have reticulated sculpture on the dorsal shell side, which is often covered with soil and this may be of value in providing camouflage.
References This article incorporates Creative Commons (CC-BY-4.0) text from the references
External links *  Barna Páll-Gergely, Systematic revision of the Plectopylinae (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Plectopylidae); European Journal of Taxonomy 455: 1–114, 2018