Wainuia urnula
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| Wainuia urnula Powell, 1930 |
Wainuia urnula is a rare terrestrial mollusc in the family Rhytididae, endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. There are two subspecies:
- Wainuia urnula urnula (Pfeiffer, 1855)
It lives under loose damp leaf litter in beech, rimu, rata, kanuka and hinau and mixed forest, as well as under dead tree fern fronds and stable moist rock piles, from Wellington, New Zealand north to Lake Waikaremoana, in the North Island of New Zealand.
They are predated upon by introduced Rats, Possums and Hedgehogs, but are able to cope well with habitat disturbance.
- Wainuia urnula nasuta Powell, 1946
It lives under damp leaf litter in kamahi and mixed forest, as well as under dead flax leaves and stable moist rock piles, from the north of the South Island of New Zealand, including D'urville Island.
They are predated upon by introduced mammal pests and now only survive in isolated pockets, particularly rock piles which give protection against a large range of predators. It is classified by the New Zealand Department of Conservation as being in Gradual Decline.
[edit] References
- Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- New Zealand Department of Conservation
- New Zealand Department of Conservation Threatened Species Classification
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