Drymaeus dominicus (Reeve, 1850) Master Treesnail

    Residential neighborhood, Naples, Collier County, Florida. Digital images by Mitchell Barazowski, Environmental Specialist, Conservation Collier Program, Parks and Recreation Division, Collier County, Florida, November, 2020.

    Since shells of Drymaeus dominicus snails from Hispaniola (type locality) and Cuba characteristically have interrupted spiral bands, Pilsbry (1946: 26) hinted that the continuous spirals on Florida shells might be a sufficient basis for validating Drymaeus dominicus hemphilli (B.H. Wright,¹ 1889) as a subspecies. However, he had earlier reported that Florida populations were quite variable, including shells with interrupted bands - and even bandless ones (Pilsbry, 1899: 3-7). W.G. Binney & Bland (1869: 193-194, fig. 337) were the first to report the taxon from the US, and Binney (1885: 407-408) actually figured all of the three shell forms from Florida. Thus it seems appropriate to regard the B.H. Wright name as a mere form, and grant it no formal taxonomic status.

Binney, W.G., and T. Bland. 1869. Land and fresh water shells of North America. Part 1, Pulmonata Geophila. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 194: [i]-xii + [1]-316. <https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8819685>

Binney, W.G., 1885. A Manual of American Land Snails. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 28: [1]-528. <https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7474491>

Pilsbry, H.A., 1899. Manual of Conchology (second series). 12. American Bulimulidae: North American and Antillean Drymaeus, Leiostracus, Orthalicinae and Amphibuliminae. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. [iv] + 1-258 + 64 pls. March 11 to Dec. <https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23561035>

Pilsbry, H.A., 1946. Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico) vol. 2 part 1. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. vii + pp 1-520. Dec. 6.  <https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822000620252;view=1up;seq=9>

¹ The Wrights (father & son) are briefly discussed in the second paragraph at What’s In A Name Or Two? As taxonomists, history has not dealt with them favorably.