Papers by Rodrigo B . Salvador
Journal of Conchology, 2025
Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park (PETAR) in São Paulo state, southeast Brazil, is renowned for its... more Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park (PETAR) in São Paulo state, southeast Brazil, is renowned for its numerous caves hosting diverse molluscan fauna, including many endemic and cavernicolous species. Collection efforts at PETAR have uncovered a unique terrestrial gastropod from one of these caves. This land snail, exhibiting striking shell morphology, has led to the present description of a new genus and species, Caerbannogia calida gen. et sp. nov. Its conchological features, particularly the internal structure of the columella, suggest a classification within Eucalodiidae (Urocoptoidea). Although this superfamily is predominantly distributed in the Caribbean, a few modern and fossil species deemed to belong to it have been identified in Brazil. This discovery marks the first record of the family Eucalodiidae in Brazil.
ZooKeys, 2025
Jean François Xavier Roffiaen (1820-1898) was a Belgian landscape painter with a profound interes... more Jean François Xavier Roffiaen (1820-1898) was a Belgian landscape painter with a profound interest in malacology. A founding member of the Société malacologique de Belgique, Roffiaen contributed several publications on molluscs. Among such studies, his 1868 paper on Swiss terrestrial and freshwater gastropods introduced 14 new taxa (species and varieties) belonging to the Clausiliidae, Discidae, Helicidae, Lymnaeidae, Valvatidae, and Viviparidae. However, Roffiaen's malacological contributions largely faded from recognition, primarily due to the unknown whereabouts of his type material. This study revisits his work by identifying and analysing specimens from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). Of the 14 taxa described by Roffiaen, type specimens for nine (including the two full species) have been recovered, enabling a reassessment of their taxonomic status as synonyms of better-known and widespread species. The serendipitous finding of these type specimens reaffirms the importance of maintaining museum collections, and the implementation of digitization programs to uncover/recover such "lost" information, enabling it to be made available to the scientific community at large.
Biological Invasions, 2025
Freshwater ecosystems support nearly 10% of the Earth's known species, making them vital biodiver... more Freshwater ecosystems support nearly 10% of the Earth's known species, making them vital biodiversity hotspots. However, this biodiversity and its associated critical functions are threatened by anthropogenic pressure, including invasive species. The New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, is a prominent invader of freshwater ecosystems, having rapidly expanded across several continents in the last two centuries and presenting substantial ecological and economic challenges. Its invasion success has been attributed to its adaptability to environmental variables and its clonal reproductive mode, yet its chronological expansion on a global scale has not previously been synthesized. Here, we compiled a total of 148,803 biogeographic records of P. antipodarum from 43 countries on six continents, focusing on historical data drawn from the literature. By mapping these records and analysing first introduction times, we compared invasion patterns of this snail worldwide. Our analysis revealed detailed insights into the snail's invasion speed and geographic expansion over time, identifying both periods of rapid advance and slower spread. This study also highlights the challenges of monitoring invasive species, particularly in regions with limited data availability. By investigating dynamics of this invasion, our research underscores the importance of continuous, systematic monitoring to mitigate the ecological impacts and prevent further spread. The findings provide a foundation for understanding key factors driving the species' widespread success and offer insights into predicting freshwater regions most vulnerable to future invasions.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2025
The magician tree snail, Drymaeus magus, is an obscure species that has fallen into oblivion. It ... more The magician tree snail, Drymaeus magus, is an obscure species that has fallen into oblivion. It has been regarded as a 'long-lost species' and barely figured in malacological research since its original description in the early 19th century. Through a comprehensive taxonomic review, we reveal that this species is common and widespread in southeastern Brazil, seemingly being hidden in plain sight all along. We provide an extensive redescription of D. magus, including new data on its morphology and anatomy using advanced computed tomography techniques. The geographical distribution of this species is reviewed by combining new occurrence records from literature, natural history collections, and citizen science. We also offer insights into the natural history and behaviour of D. magus based on field observations. Lastly, we place the species in a phylogenetic framework for the first time, using molecular data to conduct the largest phylogenetic analysis of Peltellinae to date and shed new light on the evolutionary relationships of this subfamily. As a result, our knowledge of D. magus is vastly expanded, elevating it from obscurity to one of the better-known species of Drymaeus.
Folia Malacologica, 2025
We propose that Drymaeus cuticula (Pfeiffer, 1855) is a junior synonym of Cochlorina aurisleporis... more We propose that Drymaeus cuticula (Pfeiffer, 1855) is a junior synonym of Cochlorina aurisleporis (Bruguière, 1792) based on an analysis of their conchological characters. Aside from appearing on a few species checklists, D. cuticula has been relegated to taxonomic oblivion for decades, likely due to new specimens being readily attributed to its more well-known synonym. By synonymising the two species, we clarify the status of D. cuticula and contribute to ongoing efforts to revise the taxonomy of the genus Drymaeus.
Folia Malacologica, 2025
Amphidoxa Albers, 1850 is a genus of minute charopid land snails known primarily from Chile. Howe... more Amphidoxa Albers, 1850 is a genus of minute charopid land snails known primarily from Chile. However, two species from southern Brazil have been allocated to it, Amphidoxa flammulata Ihering, 1922 and Amphidoxa inexpectata Ihering, 1922. Curiously, after their original description, these species were never again mentioned in the literature. They were recently "rediscovered" during work to produce the latest checklist of terrestrial gastropods in Brazil and their classification needs to be reassessed. Herein, we reclassify those species as Lilloiconcha inexpectata (Ihering, 1922) comb. nov. and Lilloiconcha flammulata (Ihering, 1922) comb. nov. (Punctoidea, Cystopeltidae). Moreover, considering the former confusion involving L. inexpectata and L. pleurophora (Moricand, 1846), we also clarify the known distribution of the latter.
Journal of Conchology, 2025
With this study, we continue the revision of the genera of Scolodontidae (Gastropoda: Styl ommato... more With this study, we continue the revision of the genera of Scolodontidae (Gastropoda: Styl ommato phora), focusing on the taxa with tightly coiled, multiwhorled shells that often bear apertural and/or internal barriers. We analysed type material from all type species and studied some misclassified Charopidae and Streptaxidae. We provide redescriptions and better circumscription of the following Scolodontid taxa: Entodina Ancey, 1887, Systrophia L. Pfeiffer, 1855, and Zilchistrophia Weyrauch, 1960. Martinella Jousseaume, 1887 is transferred from Streptaxidae to Scolodontidae, and the extinct Patagocharopa Miquel & P.E. Rodriguez, 2016 is transferred from Charopidae; Patagocharopa, dating from the Miocene, represents the earliest fossil record of the family. Keranella gen. nov. and Smenodonta gen. nov. are erected. The genera Polygyratia J.E. Gray, 1847 and Ridleyconcha Christensen, 2020, despite recently revised, are also included here for comparison with the other taxa.
Biota Neotropica, 2024
his study aims to refine the taxonomy of land snails previously identified as Happia sp. from the... more his study aims to refine the taxonomy of land snails previously identified as Happia sp. from the oceanic Trindade Island (SE Brazil). Based on a recent sampling of live specimens, we sequenced the mitochondrial COI barcode marker from two specimens. The so-called Happia sp. is actually the exotic Zonitoides arboreus, which is native from the Nearctic but widespread worldwide due to human introductions. The single COI haplotype from Trindade Island is identical to one from a specimen sampled from a Botanical Garden in The Netherlands, and more research is needed in order to elucidate possible introduction routes of Z. arboreus. This species feeds on fungi and plant material, requiring the existence of trees/wood debris and mild climatic conditions, and it is sometimes recorded as an intermediate host of some species of Cestoda and Nematoda. With the present record, the number of known native terrestrial gastropods from Trindade Island is reduced to six, whereas the number of introduced species rises to three, in addition to two cryptogenic species.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2025
We reconsider the biodiversity and biogeography of Paralaoma servilis—believed to be one of the m... more We reconsider the biodiversity and biogeography of Paralaoma servilis—believed to be one of the most globally invasive exotic land snails—through integrative empirical revision. Phylogenies obtained from nDNA (ELAV, ddRAD genomics) and mtDNA (COI) demonstrate that the current classification is in error, with there being at least five distinct species within P. servilis s.l. The P. servilis group as interpreted here thus includes: P. servilis, inferred to be native to south-western Pacific Rim with an adventive distribution minimally spanning North America, Europe, and the Macaronesian islands of the eastern Atlantic Ocean; P. amblygona (Reinhardt, 1877), native to Honshu, Japan; P. borealis (Pilsbry and Y. Hirase, 1905), native to Hokkaido, Japan along the Pacific Rim to the SW North American mountains; P. caputspinulae (Reeve, 1852), native to New Zealand and Lord Howe Island; and P. morti (J.C. Cox, 1864), native to south-eastern Australia. Within P. servilis, invasiveness appears limited to a single clade that may have arisen along the California coast. The work presented here is a reminder that taxonomic concepts that have not been subjected to empirical vetting can generate poor biodiversity perspectives and non-optimal conservation strategies when native species are treated as exotics.
Journal of Geek Studies, 2024
Journal of Conchology, 2014
Land-snail inventory suffers many gaps in knowledge, especially in countries of the Global South ... more Land-snail inventory suffers many gaps in knowledge, especially in countries of the Global South such
as Brazil. Studying undersampled regions and providing data on species distributions are among the most pressing matters in Brazilian malacology. Here, we study a sample of land snails collected in the Central-West region of Brazil (“Midwest”) housed in the Coleção Malacológica, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (University of São Paulo). Ten species from seven families were identified in the material: Alterorhinus constrictus, Anostoma rossi, Aperostoma redfieldi, Bulimulus corumbaensis, Cyclodontina gemellata, Cyclodontina sectilabris, Drymaeus poecilus, Megalobulimus aff. elongatus, Solaropsis fairchildi, and Solaropsis rosarium. The geographic range of four species and one family (Bothriembryontidae) are expanded. We reassess the taxonomic status of two species and consider Anostoma luetzelburgi Weber, 1925 to be a junior synonym of A. rossi Weber, 1925.
Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2024
The freshwater gastropod fauna in Brazil presently consists of circa 180 known species, though th... more The freshwater gastropod fauna in Brazil presently consists of circa 180 known species, though this is deemed an underestimate. The little-studied cavern faunas have been considered a potential source of undescribed species, particularly regarding the Truncatelloidea. Here, based on new collection efforts in caves in Bahia state, Brazil, we describe two new troglobitic species of Idiopyrgus (Tomichiidae): Idiopyrgus eowynae sp. nov. and Idiopyrgus meriadoci sp. nov. We improve upon the previous molecular phylogeny of this genus and take the opportunity to reclassify Spiripockia umbraticola Simone & Salvador, 2021, as Idiopyrgus umbraticola (Simone & Salvador, 2021), comb. nov. The genus Idiopyrgus now contains ten species, reinforcing the presence of Tomichiidae in Brazil as a relict lineage that largely radiated into cave environments. Furthermore, considering that so far only snapshots of their biology are known, we have collated all the information currently available from the literature and field observations on the cavernicolous species of Idiopyrgus. Notably, due to human action in the area where the two new species have been found, they can already be considered vulnerable.
PeerJ, 2024
Biological rhythms are ubiquitous across the tree of life. Organisms must allocate their activiti... more Biological rhythms are ubiquitous across the tree of life. Organisms must allocate their activities into moments of the day and of the season that will increase their probability of surviving and reproducing, which is done in the form of daily and annual rhythms. So far, the vast majority of studies on biological rhythms have focused on classical laboratory model species. Still, the use of non-model species is gaining traction, as part of an effort to achieve a more holistic understanding of clock/calendar mechanisms in the ''real world'' but this requires species that can be studied in both the lab and in nature. Terrestrial gastropods, i.e., land snails and slugs, have the potential to be exciting models for the study of biological rhythms in nature. Therefore, we provide a review of the research on biological rhythms in terrestrial gastropods, with a focus on ecology and evolution. We present the state of the art in the field while giving a historical perspective of the studies, exploring each of the main lineages of terrestrial gastropods. We also point out some interesting directions that future studies could take to fill some of the more urgent gaps in current knowledge. We hope that our contribution will renew interest in this area and spark novel projects.
Is being “blue” being different? The status of Antidrymaeus L. Germain, 1907 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Bulimulidae), with notes on miscellaneous species of Drymaeus Albers, 1850 and Mesembrinus Albers, 1850
Archiv für Molluskenkunde, 2024
Phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of a group of Drymaeus s.l. species that are characte... more Phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of a group of Drymaeus s.l. species that are characterised by tones of bluish or greenish colours of their bodies. This group is now considered as Antidrymaeus L. Germain, 1907, which was recently elevated from synonymy to generic status. Species of this group have been found from Florida to Brazil and Peru, but further fieldwork may show that more species belong to this genus than hitherto known. The following new taxa are described: Antidrymaeus multifasciatus nevisensis Robinson & Breure and Antidrymaeus multifasciatus luciae Robinson & Breure. The genus Antidrymaeus now includes A. dormani (W.G. Binney, 1857), A. gereti (C.M.F. Ancey, 1901), A. immaculatus (Reeve, 1850), A. inusitatus (Fulton, 1900), A. multifasciatus christopheri (Pilsbry, 1899), A. multifasciatus laticinctus (Guppy, 1868), A. multifasciatus luciae Robinson & Breure, 2024, A. multifasciatus multifasciatus (Lamarck, 1822), A. multifasciatus nevisensis Robinson & Breure, 2024, A. pinchoti (Pilsbry, 1930), A. stramineus (Guilding, 1824), and A. sulphureus (L. Pfeiffer, 1857). Additionally, several species of Drymaeus Albers, 1850 and Mesembrinus Albers, 1850 that also have bluish or greenish colours in their body are treated here. The hypothesis is posed that these also might be members of Antidrymaeus; however, this can only be corroborated through future phylogenetic studies.
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 2024
In her 1945 study on the Tertiary fossil mollusks of northeastern Mexico, Gardner listed only 2 t... more In her 1945 study on the Tertiary fossil mollusks of northeastern Mexico, Gardner listed only 2 taxa of land snails: Holospira eva Gardner, 1945 and "Helix" sp. The latter is recognized here as a new species of Lysinoe Adams & Adams, 1855 (Helicoidea, Xanthonychidae). The new species can be diagnosed from its congeners by its flattened shell profile, a lower body whorl with a faint angulation on its median portion, a ridge-like angulation around the umbilicus, and a likely wide umbilicus. The species is known to occur in 2 nearby Upper Middle Oligocene outcrops in the eastern part of the state of Nuevo León.
Journal of Geek Studies, 2024
As biologists, birdwatchers, and gamers, it is a common practice for us to take note of all birds... more As biologists, birdwatchers, and gamers, it is a common practice for us to take note of all birds that we see and hear in the games we play. Sometimes we even write about those birds, like we did for Overwatch and Honkai: Star Rail (Tomotani & Salvador, 2016; Salvador, 2023, 2024). Thus, it's past time we write something about the birds in Fate/Grand Order. Fate/Grand Order (2014-present; henceforth FGO) is a mobile gacha game by Delightworks and now, Lasengle, belonging to the larger Fate franchise. Put simply, in the game you summon heroic spirits known as 'Servants' to help you fight and save the world. Servants are typically taken from the real world, and they can be historical people (like Florence Nightingale and Charlemagne), legendary/mythological beings (like King Arthur and Heracles), or literary characters (like Moriarty and Astolfo). A few Servants are summoned together with bird familiars/pets, are bird-themed, or just include birds in their artwork. Those are the Servants we are going to take a closer look at-or rather, we will take a look at their birds. PARROTS Kama, in her summer Avenger incarnation, is accompanied by rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri), also known as ring-necked parakeets or ringneck parrots. It is a popular species to have as a pet and Kama seems to have a whole flock of them (Fig. 1). Besides, and perhaps more importantly, the Hindu god Kamadeva rides a parrot or a parrot-powered chariot (though no one ever bothered to say which species of parrot that is and depictions vary).
Assessment of moth diversity in the Zealandia ecosanctuary through a community science initiative
New Zealand Entomologist, 2024
A collaborative project involving researchers and citizen scientists was conducted in the Zealand... more A collaborative project involving researchers and citizen scientists was conducted in the Zealandia ecosanctuary (Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand) during 2019–2022 to investigate Lepidoptera biodiversity. Here we present the first results of that project, reporting on the success of the citizen science approach and presenting a checklist of moth species in Zealandia. Sampling efforts took place roughly monthly during the night, and relied heavily on the participation of keen volunteers. Moths were primarily attracted using a mercury vapour light trap, but sweep-netting was also applied. On each trip, a selection of representative specimens was collected, humanely euthanised, prepared, photographed, and deposited as voucher specimens in the entomological collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Photos were uploaded to the community science online platform iNaturalist, where experts could help in identifying the species. We report a total of 262 species in Zealandia, belonging to 29 families; of those species, 22 are exotic. Notably, 217 species were found via our sampling, and the remaining 45 were recorded by citizen scientists and posted on iNaturalist. While this is likely an underestimate of the true species count in Zealandia, we consider the project a successful citizen science initiative that has generated valuable data, a fine collection of voucher specimens for the future, considerable public engagement, and positive media attention.
Journal of Conchology, 2024
We compiled taxonomic information about terrestrial gastropods in Brazil in an organized and user... more We compiled taxonomic information about terrestrial gastropods in Brazil in an organized and user-friendly checklist that we hope will be useful for researchers and stakeholders alike. We also expect that it will serve as a springboard, garnering more interest and enabling a new wave of studies on this fauna, which has one the highest extinction rates of all animal groups while being essential ecosystem functioning and also includes species of importance to public health and agriculture. We list all species of terrestrial gastropods that occur in the country, with information regarding synonymized names and fossils. We also propose a few nomenclatural acts to address some pending issues of easy resolution. A total of 748 species of terrestrial gastropods are known in Brazil, including 33 exotic species that have been introduced to Brazil. A total of 48 families are present, the majority of which belong to Stylommatophora; only six families represent the Neritimorpha, Caenogastropoda and Systellommatophora. The most speciose families are Bulimulidae, Strophocheilidae, Cyclodontinidae, Streptaxidae, and Simpulopsidae. Changes in nomenclature proposed here are as follows: Drymaeus obliquus poecilogramma Ancey, 1901 is now reclassified as Sanniostracus poecilogramma (Ancey, 1901) comb. nov.; Helix uniplicata Férussac, 1827 as Clessinia uniplicata (Férussac, 1827) comb. nov.; Zonitoides parana Baker, 1914 as Miradiscops parana (Baker, 1914) comb. nov.; “Helix” circumplexa Deshayes, 1839 as Systrophiella circumplexa (Deshayes, 1839) comb. nov.; Bradybaena giovannalimae Lima & Cossignani, 2021 as Streptaxis giovannalimae (Lima & Cossignani, 2021) comb. nov.
Journal of Geek Studies, 2024
It seems Honkai: Star Rail (miHoYo/ HoYoverse, 2013) is set to keep baffling me with its choices ... more It seems Honkai: Star Rail (miHoYo/ HoYoverse, 2013) is set to keep baffling me with its choices of birds. Last year there were the tree sparrows (Passer montanus, which are great birds by the way), in Sushang's splash art. So, I wrote a bit about them and then digressed about the Four Pests campaign and the Great Famine in China (Salvador, 2023). This time it's the splash art of a new character that caught my eye (Fig. 1). Robin is a singer and her in-game lore and design contain many bird-related elements. A bit cliché for a singer, of course, but hey, it's a gacha game and by this time in its life cycle their focus is on making people spend money trying to get new (and often powercrept) characters. Anyway, she is a singer 69 What's the deal with the blue "robins" in gacha games?
Zoologia, 2024
In 2022, we published an article in this journal entitled "Cave-dwelling gastropods (Mollusca: Ga... more In 2022, we published an article in this journal entitled "Cave-dwelling gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Brazil: state of the art and conservation". In that study, we compiled all the available information about cave-dwelling gastropods in the country, including terrestrial and freshwater species. We focused on the troglobites but also included information regarding some troglophilic species that we deemed worthy of discussion. In 2023, Ferreira et al. also in this journal, raised concerns regarding our article. We respond to their observations here.
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Papers by Rodrigo B . Salvador
as Brazil. Studying undersampled regions and providing data on species distributions are among the most pressing matters in Brazilian malacology. Here, we study a sample of land snails collected in the Central-West region of Brazil (“Midwest”) housed in the Coleção Malacológica, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (University of São Paulo). Ten species from seven families were identified in the material: Alterorhinus constrictus, Anostoma rossi, Aperostoma redfieldi, Bulimulus corumbaensis, Cyclodontina gemellata, Cyclodontina sectilabris, Drymaeus poecilus, Megalobulimus aff. elongatus, Solaropsis fairchildi, and Solaropsis rosarium. The geographic range of four species and one family (Bothriembryontidae) are expanded. We reassess the taxonomic status of two species and consider Anostoma luetzelburgi Weber, 1925 to be a junior synonym of A. rossi Weber, 1925.