Clarification of the taxonomic status of Isomeria morula (Hidalgo, 1879), from Ecuador (Gastropoda: Pleurodontidae).

Abstract

The land snail genus Isomeria is known only from western South America, and thus far species have been recorded from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Thirty-five species and subspecies of Isomeria are currently recognized, but their biology, ecology, and conservation status are virtually unknown. In his monographic revision of the Neotropical pleurodontid genera Labyrinthus and Isomeria, Solem (1966) pointed out the limitations posed by insufficient surveying efforts, and insufficient material in museum collections, to the understanding of interspecific morphological variation and distributions of these land snails. Considering that pleurodontid land snails are among the largest and most conspicuous (although not always the most colourful or abundant) snails in the Neotropics, such an incomplete knowledge reflects the poor overall current knowledge of the Neotropical malacofauna.