Land Snails

Photo(s): The shell of Mesomphix inornatus is a bit flatter than M. perlaevis. Image © Dan Dourson.
Illustration © Kathy Schmidt from her series "Land Snails of New York State."

Click photo(s) to enlarge.

Mesomphix inornatus (Say, 1821)

Family: Zonitidae
Common name: Plain Button

Identification
Width: 16.6 - 21 mm
Height: 8.4 - 11 mm
Whorls: 4+

The shell of Mesomphix inornatus is slightly glossy with a golden brownish or almost tan color and little obvious sculpture. However, magnification reveals minute papillae in neat rows and columns. The shell is somewhat flattened and has a thin lip and a very small umbilicus. The last whorl is very large, about double the size of the one before it, making the aperture relatively large. The animal is gray, darker on the back.

Ecology
This animal lives in upland forests under leaves and dead wood (e.g. Hubricht, 1985).

Taxonomy
Synonyms for M. inornatus are Helix inornata, Mesomphix inornata, Omphalina inornata, and Zonites inornatus.

Distribution
The range of M. inornatus is inland from western Tennessee north to New York and central Vermont.  It eschews the coast.

Conservation
NatureServe Global Rank: G5, Secure

 

Ken Hotopp, Greg Kimber 7/2012

Range Map (click to enlarge)