Monacha claustralis and M. cartusiana (Gastropoda, Hygromiidae), two cryptic species of anthropochorous land molluscs in Western Ukraine

Abstract

The first record of the eastern Mediterranean species Monacha claustralis in Western Ukraine is described, where it was found in one urban habitat of Lviv together with a conchologically similar Monacha cartusiana . Based on the results of our research and literature data, the reliability of some anatomical criteria that can be used to differentiate M. claustralis and M. cartusiana has been analyzed. A considerable variability in the length and shape of the vagina in M. cartusiana in Western Ukraine has been demonstrated, which may cause the erroneous identification of some specimens of this species as M. claustralis . The pattern of the present distribution of M. cartusiana in Western Ukraine are also characterized.

Further and Further East: Steppe Land Snail, Xerolenta obvia (Gastropoda, Geomitridae), Expands its Range in Ukraine

“…No wonder M. cartusiana, appeared in Western Ukraine only at the end of the 20th century, on the one hand, spreads quite quickly here, on the other hand, it demonstrates a clear connection with roads, parking lots, etc. (Gural-Sverlova & Gural, 2022).…”

“…Additional favorable factors could be the decrease in forest cover associated with human activities as well as the consequences of global climate change; the latter have become especially noticeable in recent decades. Not without reason, it was since the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century that some xerophilous species of land mollusks, previously distributed only in the south of the country, began to be increasingly recorded in Western Ukraine (Balashov et al, 2018 b;Gural-Sverlova & Gural, 2017, 2022.…”

“…Th e records of X. obvia in Ukraine made in two diff erent periods of time were analyzed and graphically presented on maps (fi g. 2): 1) from the second half of the 19th century, when a purposeful study of land mollusks began in the areas of present Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk Regions in the west of Ukraine (Bąkowski, 1884), until the middle of the 20th century; 2) from the end of the 20th century to the present. Th e choice of the second time period was due to the fact that in this time the cases of registration of introduced species of land mollusks in diff erent parts of Ukraine became noticeably more frequent (Gural-Sverlova et al, 2018;Gural-Sverlova-Gural & Gural, 2021: table 2;Sverlova et al, 2006), some species were fi rst recorded in Ukraine and/or rapidly expanded their ranges on its territory Gural-Sverlova & Gural, 2022;. We considered it inappropriate to divide the fi rst period into shorter time intervals due to, in general, a small amount of data.…”

A new record of the invasive land snail Monacha cartusiana (O. F. Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda: Hygromiidae) in the south of Belarus

“…The identification of collected material was confirmed by dissection of the reproductive system. The determination of species was carried out using the articles of hAusdorf (2000), Pieńkowska et al (2015), gurAl-sverlovA & gurAl (2022. The main differentiating feature is the presence of a lateral sac (sac-like diverticulum) on the vagina in M. cartusiana.…”

“…32(1): 76-80 pleat separating penis from vaginal appendix in M. claustralis". The use of this additional feature is particularly useful during the identification of M. cartu siana specimens that have an atypically long and slender vagina with a slight, sometimes poorly visible lateral sac (gurAl-sverlovA & gurAl 2022.…”