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Home/Species/ Pierpoint Spring Pyrg

Pyrgulopsis milleri

Hershler and Liu, 2010

Pierpoint Spring Pyrg

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.838193
Element CodeIMGASJ0H10
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryInvertebrate Animal
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderLittorinimorpha
FamilyHydrobiidae
GenusPyrgulopsis
Concept Reference
Hershler, R. and H.-P. Liu. 2010. Two new, possibly threatened species of Pyrgulopsis (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from southwestern California. Zootaxa 2343:1-17.
Conservation Status
Review Date2010-04-07
Change Date2010-04-07
Edition Date2010-04-07
Edition AuthorsCordeiro, J.
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
This species was recently described from Pierpoint Spring (South Fork Middle Fork Tule River drainage), Tulare Co., California. An additional two populations in a spring along the same highway were reported historically but have not been resurveyed.
Range Extent Comments
This species was recently described from Pierpoint Spring (South Fork Middle Fork Tule River drainage), Tulare Co., California (Hershler and Liu, 2010). An additional two populations in a spring along the same highway were reported historically (1964) by Walter B. Miller (SBMNH and USNM spms.) are also known.
Occurrences Comments
This species was recently described from Pierpoint Spring (South Fork Middle Fork Tule River drainage), Tulare Co., California (Hershler and Liu, 2010). An additional two populations in a spring along the same highway were reported historically (1964) by Walter B. Miller (SBMNH and USNM spms.) are also known but these have not been resurveyed.
Threat Impact Comments
Although distributed within a parcel of patented (private) land nested within the Giant Sequoia National Monument in Sequoia National Forest, the species has no protection and may be threatened by the diversion of Pierpoint Spring, physical disturbance (e.g., trampling pollution) associated with the frequent use of the spring as a drinking water supply by travelers on CA Highway 190, and the local widening of this road (Hershler and Liu, 2010).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A complete description is in Hershler and Liu (2010). A medium-sized species having ovate- to narrow-conic shell with weakly convex whorls. Penis usually alobate; filament medium length; penial ornament usually consisting of a small ventral gland.

Diagnostic Characteristics

From Hershler and Liu (2010); Pyrgulopsis milleri differs from closely similar P. stearnsiana, which ranges into the lower portion of the Tule River basin (Hershler unpublished), in its broader central cusps on the central radular teeth, shorter pallial section of the albumen gland, greater overlap of the bursa copulatrix by the albumen gland, absence of a bend or loop in the anterior vas deferens, presence of a ventral gland on the penis and absence (except in one specimen) of a terminal gland. Pyrgulospis milleri was most similar to P. stearnsiana from the Santa Clara River basin (21AA) in its mtCOI sequences (2.8% divergence) and differed from other specimens of this species by 3.3-8.4%.

Habitat

Pierpoint Spring spills down a rock face into a ditch alongside a highway and part of its flow issues from a pipe. Specimens have been collected from aquatic vegetation in this ditch (Hershler and Liu, 2010).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

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Roadless Areas (2)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Black Mtn.Sequoia National Forest15,102
MosesSequoia National Forest22,077
References (2)
  1. Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society (FMCS). 2021. The 2021 checklist of freshwater gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropods) of the United States and Canada. Considered and approved by the Gastropods Names Subcommittee December 2020. Online: https://molluskconservation.org/MServices_Names-Gastropods.html
  2. Hershler, R. and H.-P. Liu. 2010. Two new, possibly threatened species of <i>Pyrgulopsis </i>(Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from southwestern California. Zootaxa 2343:1-17.