Tag Archives: Pyrgulopsis

Pyrgulopsis torrida Hershler, Liu, Babbitt, Kellog & Howard

Little Sycamore Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis torrida)

The Little Sycamore Pyrg was described in 2016, it had formerly been misidentified as another species, the Yaqui Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis stearnsiana (Pilsbry)).

The species was restricted to a single small, shallow stream that runs for about 1,6 km in the Little Sykcamore Canyon in Ventura Canyon, California, USA.

The shells reach sizes of about 0,28 cm in heigth. [1]

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The Little Sycamore Pyrg was already rare in 2000, however, when the type locality was revisited in 2015, the stream was completely dry, indicating that the species had lost its only habitat and may thus be now extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] Robert Hershler; Hsiu-Ping Liu; Caitlin Babbit; Michael G. Kellog; Jeanette K. Howard: Three new species of western California springsnails previously confused with Pyrgulopsis stearnsiana (Caenogastropoda, Hydrobiidae). ZooKeys 601: 1-19. 2016

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Photo from: ‘Robert Hershler; Hsiu-Ping Liu; Caitlin Babbit; Michael G. Kellog; Jeanette K. Howard: Three new species of western California springsnails previously confused with Pyrgulopsis stearnsiana (Caenogastropoda, Hydrobiidae). ZooKeys 601: 1-19. 2016’

(under creative commons license (4.0))
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

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edited: 18.05.2022

Pyrgulopsis brandi (Drake)

Brand’s Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis brandi)

Brand’s Pyrg was described in 1953, it was endemic to the thermal springs at las Palomas in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The springs at Las Palomas dried out in the 1970s, leading to the extinction of the endmic molusc fauna, inluding this species. [1]

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References:

[1] Robert Hershler: A review of the North American freshwater snail genus Pyrgulopsis (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian Libraries 554(554): 1-115. 1994

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edited: 01.05.2019

Pyrgulopsis nevadensis (Stearns)

Lake Pyramid Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis nevadensis)

The Lake Pyramid Pyrg was described in 1883, it was restricted to the Pyramid Lake in Washoe County in Nevada, USA. 

The exact date of its disapeerance appears not to be known, however, the last specimens collected alive date from the very late 1800s, and despite the fact that shells are still commonly found, no living specimen was ever found since and the species is obviously extinct. [1]

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The Lake Pyramid Pyrg also inhabited Walker Lake in Mineral County, Nevada, however, this population is only known from fossil remains and eppaers to be of Pleistocene age. [1]

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References:

[1] Robert Hershler: A review of the North American freshwater snail genus Pyrgulopsis (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 554: 1-115. 1994

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Photo: Corey Lange
http://www.inaturalist.org/people/coreyjlange

(under creative commons license (4.0))
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

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edited: 01.05.2019

Pyrgulopsis ruinosa Hershler

Fish Lake Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis ruinosa)

The Fish Lake Pyrg was described in 1998, it was restricted to its type locality, a single spring in the Fish Lake-Soda Spring Valleys in Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA.

The species was last recorded in 1988, its type locality is heavily decgraded and the species was never recorded since, it is extinct.

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edited: 13.09.2020

Pyrgulopsis carinata Hershler

Carinate Duckwater Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis carinata)

The Carinate Duckwater Pyrg was described in 1998, it was restricted to a stretch of only about 20 m of outflow habitat of a single spring in the Hot creek-Railroad Valleys in Nye County, Nevada, USA.

The species was last found during surveys in 2009, but has since not be recorded and is thus considered most likely extinct.

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edited: 18.05.2019

Pyrgulopsis chupaderae (Taylor)

Chupadera Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis chupaderae)

The Chupadera Pyrg was described in 1987, it was restricted to its type locality, Willow Spring on the Cienaga Ranch at the southern end of the Chupadera Mountains in Socorro County, New Mexico, USA. [1]

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There appears to be a last surviving population of this species located on private land, however, given the fact that groundwater pumping is not really regulated, this last population may already be extinct as well, this cannot be proven because the landowners are uncooperative. [2]

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References:

[1] Robert Hershler: A review of the North American freshwater snail genus Pyrgulopsis (Hydrobiidae). Smithsonian Libraries 554(554): 1-115. 1994
[2] Robert hershler; Hsiu-Ping Liu; Jeanette Howard: Springsnails: A new conservation focus in western North America. BioScience 64(8): 693-700. 2014 

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edited: 01.05.2019