Description: A short cylindrical shell of 6-7 whorls with a blunt, obtuse apex. Aperture has a single, weak, whitish, parietal denticle. There is a whitish rib or callus behind the lip which can be seen through the shell from the side. The shell is dark reddish-brown, faintly glossy and finely striate. Differs from the very similar Pupilla muscorum in its taller and darker shell with blunter apex and its more weakly developed apetural teeth (Moorkens & Killeen, 2009). It also lives in different habitats - mainly calcareous fens rather than dry, calcareous grasslands. 3.5-3.9 mm.

World Distribution: Knowledge of the world distribution of this newly recognised species is imperfect. However, there are confirmed records for most of west, north and central Europe suggesting a Suboceanic Temperate distribution (72).

Irish Distribution: So far known only from Clonaslee Eskers (N271122), Co. Meath and the flushes on the northern margins of Waterstown Lough (N102459), Co. Westmeath (Moorkens & Killeen, 2009).

Ecology:

• Confined to basic fen types
• Noted from flushed calcareous slopes in Ireland

Key Identification Features:

• Shell cylindrical-ovoid but narrows more abruptly at the apex than P. muscorum
• Number of whorls 6-6.5 (-7)
• Growth lines fine but more pronounced than in P. muscorum, shell thinner more translucent
• Apertural lip rather weak, tooth weakly developed, sometimes absent
• Shell colour dark chestnut brown (reddish-brown to greyish brown in muscorum)

Taxonomy:

• Recently confirmed as a distinct species by Proschwitz et al. (2009).

Red list status:

• Not listed but likely to qualify as highly endangered (EN).

Distribution Map from NBN: Pupilla alpicola at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Pupilla alpicola at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Pupilla alpicola | Classification: Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Pupillidae, Pupilla

Thumbnails for genus Pupilla