Egg-shaped Lyropupa Snail (Lyropupa ovatula)  

This species was described in 1920, it was restricted to the island of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.  

The shells reached sizes of about 0,22 cm.  

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The Egg-shaped Lyropupa Snail was apparently already extinct when it was described.:  

“The specimens are all dead, apparently being Holocene fossils. They vary in color from vinaceous-cinnamon to cartridge-buff, or of the former tint with a cartridge-buff median zone. …” [1]  

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An additional form, Lyropupa ovatula ssp. kona Pilsbry & Cooke, was described in 1920 as a subspecies based on (sub)fossil specimens from Hawai’i and Moloka’i, which, however, most likely represent two distinct species.  

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References:  

[1] George W. Tryon; Henry A. Pilsbry; a.o.: Manual of Conchology. Second Series: Vol.25, Pupillidae (Gastrocoptinae, Vertigininae) 1918-1920
[2] Patrick V. Kirch; Carl C. Christensen: Nonemarine molluscs and paleoecology at Barber’s Point, O’ahu. Prepared for Archaeological Research Center Hawaii, Inc.. Department of Anthropology; Bernice P. Bishop Museum 1-40. 1980

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edited: 04.11.2017