Mariaella dussumieri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mariaella dussumieri | |
|---|---|
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| Drawing of the internal shell of Mariaella dussumieri. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Ariophantidae |
| Genus: | Mariaella |
| Species: | M. dussumieri |
| Binomial name | |
| Mariaella dussumieri | |
Mariaella dussumieri is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Ariophantidae.
Mariaella dussumieri is the type species of the genus Mariaella.
Its specific name is in honor of French merchant Jean-Jacques Dussumier.
This species lives in India. It is endemic to Western Ghats.[2] In the Western Ghats it occurs as far north as the Kadur district of Mysore and perhaps to Mahableshwar. Hill-tracts of Ceylon.[3][unreliable source?] The type locality was Mahé, India, a small town between Calicut and Cannanore on the Malabar coast.[3]
This species has not yet become established in the USA, but it is considered to represent a potentially serious threat as a pest, an invasive species which could negatively affect agriculture, natural ecosystems, human health or commerce. Therefore, it has been suggested that this species be given top national quarantine significance in the USA.[4]
