Macularia sylvatica

{{Short description|Species of gastropod}} {{Speciesbox | name = | image = Macularia sylvatica (MNHN-IM-2010-13150).jpeg | image_caption = Shells of ''Macularia sylvatica'' (specimen at MNHN, Paris) | taxon = Macularia sylvatica | authority = (Drapanaud, 1801) |synonyms= * ''Cepaea (Cepaea) silvatica'' (Draparnaud, 1801) * ''Cepaea sylvatica'' (Draparnaud, 1801) * ''Helix sylvatica'' Draparnaud, 1801 (original combination) }}

'' '''Macularia sylvatica''''' is a medium-sized species of air-breathing dextral [[land snail]], a [[terrestrial molluscs|terrestrial]] pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae. It was once seen as a close relative of the [[grove snail]] (''Cepaea nemoralis''), but does in fact not belong to the genus ''[[Cepaea]]'' at all.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Neiber |first1=M.T. |last2=Hausdorf |first2=B. |year=2015 |title=Molecular phylogeny reveals the polyphyly of the snail genus ''Cepaea'' (Gastropoda: Helicidae) |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=93 |pages=143–149 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.022 |pmid=26256642}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Neiber |first1=M.T. |last2=Sagorny |first2=C. |last3=Hausdorf |first3=B. |year=2016 |title=Increasing the number of molecular markers resolves the phylogenetic relationship of "''Cepaea''" ''vindobonensis'' (Pfeiffer 1828) with ''Caucasotachea'' Boettger 1909 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Helicidae) |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=40–45 |doi=10.1111/jzs.12116 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Geographic distribution and habitat== This west-Alpine species occurs in Germany, Italy, France, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.<ref name="Welter-Schultes">Francisco W. Welter-Schultes: ''European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification = Bestimmungsbuch für europäische Land- und Süsswassermollusken.'' A1-A3 S., 679 S., Q1-Q78 S., Göttingen, Planet Poster Ed., 2012 {{ISBN|3-933922-75-5}}, {{ISBN|978-3-933922-75-5}} (S. 368)</ref> The vertical distribution extends from 265 m to 2560 m a.s.l.<ref name="Turner">Turner H, Kuiper JGJ, Thew N, Bernasconi R, Rütschi J, Wüthrich M & Gosteli M: ''Atlas der Mollusken der Schweiz und Liechtensteins.'' Centre suisse de catographie de la faune/Schweizerische Entomologische Gesellschaft/Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, 1998 {{ISSN|1422-6367}}, {{ISBN|2-88414-013-1}}</ref> It lives in similar habitats as ''C. nemoralis'', such as woods, dunes and grassland; however ''M. sylvatica'' tolerates wetter and colder mountain areas.

==Description== ''Macularia sylvatica'' is generally similar in appearance to ''C. nemoralis'', although the shell is smaller, not as colourful, and not as variable. The spire of the shell is blunt. The most obvious character is the formation of the colour bands on the shell, where at least the upper two appear to be "interrupted".

==References== {{Commons category}} {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Helicidae]] [[Category:Gastropods described in 1801]]