Emerald Helicostyla Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina (Reeve, 1824)

Common Names: Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina - Emerald Helicostyla; Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina lutea - Yellow Helicostyla; Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina nigrescens - Blackened Helicostyla Author: Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina (Reeve, 1842) - Emerald Helicostyla; Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina lutea (Semper, 1877) - Yellow Helicostyla; Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina nigrescens (Semper, 1877) - Blackened Helicostyla Category: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Habitat/Distribution: Now about Helicostyla (Opalliostyla) smaragdina lutea (Semper, 1877). Subspecies is a geographical race, meaning - it should be geographically isolated and therefore - genetically defined. Good example would be a species with two subspecies on two different islands. H. lutea leaves on the same island as H. smaragdina s.s., that makes it much more difficult to judge. I can not tell you with absolute certainty are there two different subspecies in this case or not? One should plot distribution on the map in order to answer this question. I do not have sufficient data for that. However the fact that types of smargadina s.s. came from Lianga and lutea came from Agusan (I assume it is the river just West of Lianga) suggests that lutea is ecological variation (not a subspecies). (Information emailed to me by Dr. Igor Muratov) Description / Behavior: Threats: Hunting and Habitat destruction Interesting Information: Most of the Helicostyla family were all discoverer here in the Philippines. Conservation Efforts/Measures:

Photograph Information: Courtesy of the Dr. Igor Muratov

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