A Field Guide to the Snails of Lord Howe Island

32 2 mm Family Assimineidae (Palmleaf Snails) Opinorelia howeinsulae (Iredale, 1944) Scaly Palmleaf Snail Shell. Size: H = 4-5.5 mm, D = 2-3.5 mm. Colour: Yellowish- brown, appearing darker in live animals. Shape: Globosely turbinate to conical with a pointed spire; whorls rounded with a slightly angulate periphery; sutures strongly impressed. Sculpture: Spiral periostracal ridges or spiral rows of periostracal hairs. Aperture: Ovate. Umbilicus: Open; circum-umbilical keel absent. Animal. Body colour pale brown with dark grey cephalic tentacles. Key distinguishing features. Smaller, less highly spired and more globose shell, rounded (or very weakly angulate) shell periphery, shell surface with distinct spiral ridges or rows of hairs, lack of circum-umbilical keel. Habitat and occurrence. Widespread across the island, in rainforest and moist woodland, in both lowland areas and on the southern mountains. Found in leaf litter, usually in fallen palm leaves. Remarks. Sympatric with both species of Limborelia throughout their ranges. A population from the summit of Mt Lidgbird has been described as a separate subspecies ( O. howeinsulae belli ) but this is currently regarded as a synonym of O. howeinsulae . Opinorelia howeinsulae Opinorelia howeinsulae