''Thelidomus aspera'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of air-breathing

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have gastropod shell, shel ...

, a

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

pulmonate Pulmonata or pulmonates is an informal group (previously an order, and before that, a subclass) of snails and slugs characterized by the ability to breathe air, by virtue of having a pallial lung instead of a gill, or gills. The group inclu ...

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

in the family

Pleurodontidae Pleurodontidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Helicoidea. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Pleurodontidae Ihering, 1912. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Spe ...

. It is endemic to Jamaica.

Invasive species

This species has not yet become established in the US, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

significance in the USA.Cowie R. H., Dillon R. T., Robinson D. G. & Smith J. W. (2009). "Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment". ''American Malacological Bulletin'' 27: 113-132
PDF
.

Ecology

Parasites

''Thelidomus aspera'' is a host for larvae of the parasites ''

Angiostrongylus cantonensis ''Angiostrongylus cantonensis'' is a nematode (roundworm) parasite that causes angiostrongyliasis, an infection that is the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin. The nematode commonly resides in the ...

'' and ''

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus ''Aelurostrongylus abstrusus'' is a species of nematode from the family Angiostrongylidae.PDF
.

''.Lindo J. F., Waugh C., Hall J., Cunningham-Myrie C., Ashley D., Eberhard M. L., Sullivan J. J., Bishop H. S., Robinson D. G., Holtz T. & Robinson R. D. (2002)
"Enzootic Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Rats and Snails after an Outbreak of Human Eosinophilic Meningitis, Jamaica"
''

Emerging Infectious Diseases ''Emerging Infectious Diseases'' is a monthly open-access peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The journal is in the public domain and covers global instances of new and reemerging infectious ...

'' 8(3):

References

External links

photos

photo
* Pilsbry H. A. (1894). ''

Manual of Conchology George Washington Tryon Jr. (20 May 1838 – 5 February 1888) was an American malacologist who worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Biography George Washington Tryon was the son of Edward K. Tryon and Adeline Savidt. ...

. Second series: Pulmonata
Volume 9
Helicidae - Volume VII''
page 96Plate 23
figure 25 shows reproductive system. {{Taxonbar, from=Q7781030 Pleurodontidae Gastropods described in 1821 Endemic fauna of Jamaica