Superamily Pupilloidea Family OrculidaeThis is a small family of snails which live in Central- and South-Europe,North-Africa, The Middle-East,South-Africa and Madagascar. The shell is cylindrical,with a rounded mouth which has teeth.
Genus Fauxulus Genus Orcula Genus Orculella Genus Pagodulina Genus Schileykula Genus Sphyradium
Orcula dolium(Draparnaud,1801) Shell cylindrical,6,5-9 mm high x 3-3,5 mm wide,with 8,5-10 whorls. The mouth has a central parietal lamella and two columellar lamella. The color is yellowish or reddish brown but very variable. In leaflitter and mossed rocks in mountains,up to 2000 mtrs in The Alps and Carpathians.
Orcula gularis(Rossmässler,1837) Looks like a smaller O.dolium.In the mouth of the shell is parietal lamella and palatal lamella(fold). In limestone rubble on cool damp slopes,mossed rocks,in mountains in the eastern Alps.
Sphyradium doliolum(Bruguière,1792) The shell is cylindrical with a rounded top,it has 7,5-9 whorls. The mouth has a central parietal lamella.The shell is pale brown,a little transparent and has radial ribs. The snail lives in damp,shadowy places,among leaflitter in forests and between rocks. In South- and Southeast Europe.Also in Belgium and The Netherlands.
Pagodulina pagodula(Des Moulins) The shell is rounded cylindrical.2,8-3,3 mm high x 1,8-2 mm wide with 7,5-8 whorls. There are no teeth in the mouth,the color of the shell is pale yellowish brown or brown.There are many ribs. In Central- and Southeast Europe in damp,shadowy places in woods and between rocks.
Fauxulus glanvilleanus Ancey,1888 Shell:Conical,sinistral,with axial riblets,margin of the aperture strongly bend outwards covering part of the parietal wall.Aperture with 9-11 teeth. Colouring white to buff or orangish-brown,translucent. Length up to 5.6 mm. Two forms exist:the typical one has 9 teeth,forma darglensis Burnup,1911 has 10-11 teeth,is a bit smaller and has the periphery more rounded. Habitat:forma darglensis in montane forests. DistributionEastern South-Africa;eastern Cape,KwaZulu-Natal,forma darglensis in Ngele forest to the Estcourt area and KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg.
Fauxulus mcbeanianus Melvill & Ponsonby,1901 Shell:Larger and wider than F.glanvilleanus,aperture with 7-8 teeth which are more paired.Colouring pale orange-brown,sometimes whitish to buff,teeth whitish, translucent.Length up to 4.4 mm. Habitat:Montane Podocarpus forest,living in leaflitter and under logs. DistributionEastern South-Africa;central and north-western KwaZulu-Natal.