Candidula

Candidula is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae, .^[2][3] the hairy snails and their allies.

Candidula
Two live individuals of Candidula unifasciata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Family:	Geomitridae
Genus:	Candidula Kobelt, 1871[1]
Type species
Glischrus (Helix) candidula Studer, 1820
Synonyms
Xeroalbina Monterosato, 1892 Xerocodia Monterosato, 1892 Xerotringa Monterosato, 1892 Xerovaga Monterosato, 1892

The genus is characterized by the presence of a big dart sac, a sac containing an arrow-like structure found on a land snail's reproductive organs.

Species

Species within the genus Candidula s.l. include:^[4]

• Candidula candidescens A. J. Wagner, 1928 (taxon inquirendum)
• Candidula castriota Soós, 1924
• Candidula cavannae (Paulucci, 1881)
• Candidula codia (Bourguignat, 1859)
• Candidula eustricta (Bourguignat, 1863) ^[5]
• Candidula lernaea Hausdorf, 1991
• Candidula rhabdotoides (Wagner, 1928)
• Candidula rugosiuscula (Michaud, 1831)
• † Candidula soosi (Gaál, 1910)
• Candidula syrensis (Pfeiffer, 1846) species-complex! (taxon inquirendum)
• Candidula unifasciata (Poiret, 1801) - type species
• Candidula verticillata (Pfeiffer, 1871) (taxon inquirendum, generic affiliation unclear)

Species brought into synonymy

• Candidula arganica (Servain, 1880): synonym of Zarateana arganica (Servain, 1880) (invalid combination)
• Candidula belemensis (Servain, 1880): synonym of Xeroplexa belemensis (Servain, 1880)
• Candidula camporroblensis (Fez, 1944): synonym of Backeljaia camporroblensis (Fez, 1944) (invalid combination)
• Candidula corbellai Martínez-Ortí, 2011: synonym of Backeljaia corbellai (Martínez-Ortí, 2011) (original combination)
• Candidula coudensis Holyoak & Holyoak, 2010: synonym of Xeroplexa coudensis (Holyoak & Holyoak, 2010) (original combination)
• Candidula fiorii (Alzona & Alzona Bisacchi, 1938): synonym of Xerogyra fiorii (Alzona & Alzona Bisachii, 1938) (invalid combination)
• Candidula gigaxii (Pfeiffer, 1847): synonym of Backeljaia gigaxii (L. Pfeiffer, 1847) (invalid combination)
• Candidula grovesiana (Paulucci, 1881): synonym of Xerogyra grovesiana (Paulucii, 1881) (invalid combination)
• Candidula intersecta (Poiret, 1801): synonym of Xeroplexa intersecta (Poiret, 1801) (invalid combination)
• Candidula najerensis (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950): synonym of Backeljaia najerensis (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950) (invalid combination)
• Candidula olisippensis (Servain, 1880): synonym of Xeroplexa olisippensis (Servain, 1880) (invalid combination)
• Candidula rocandioi (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950): synonym of Zarateana rocandioi (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950) (invalid combination)
• Candidula setubalensis (Pfeiffer, 1850): synonym of Xeroplexa setubalensis (L. Pfeiffer, 1850) (invalid combination)
• Candidula spadae (Calcara, 1845): synonym of Xerogyra spadae (Calcara, 1845) (invalid combination)
• † Candidula striataformis (Lörenthey, 1906): synonym of † Helicella striataformis (Lörenthey, 1906)
• Candidula ultima (Mousson, 1872): synonym of Orexana ultima (Mousson, 1872) (invalid combination)

Taxonomy

Molecular phylogenetic studies revealed the polyphyly of the genus being divided into at least six genera^[6]

The species of Candidula s.l. should be classified as follows:

• Backeljaia
  • Backeljaia camporroblensis (Fez, 1944)
  • Backeljaia corbellai (Martínez-Ortí, 2011)
  • Backeljaia gigaxii (Pfeiffer, 1847) type species
  • Backeljaia najerensis (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950)
• Candidula
• Orexana
  • Orexana ultima (Mousson, 1872) type species
• Xerogyra
  • Xerogyra fiorii (Alzona & Alzona Bisacchi, 1938)
  • Xerogyra grovesiana (Paulucci, 1881)
  • Xerogyra spadae (Calcara, 1845)
• Xeroplexa
  • Xeroplexa arrabidensis (Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014)
  • Xeroplexa belemensis (Servain, 1880): synonym of Xeroplexa belemensis (Servain, 1880)
  • Xeroplexa carrapateirensis (Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014)
  • Xeroplexa coudensis (Holyoak & Holyoak, 2010)
  • Xeroplexa intersecta (Poiret, 1801)
  • Xeroplexa olisippensis (Servain, 1880)
  • Xeroplexa ponsulensis (Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014)
  • Xeroplexa scabiosula (Locard, 1899)
  • Xeroplexa setubalensis (Pfeiffer, 1850) type species
  • Xeroplexa strucki (Maltzan, 1886)
• Zarateana
  • Zarateana arganica (Servain, 1880) type species
  • Zarateana rocandioi (Ortiz de Zárate y López, 1950)