Helicarionoidea Bourguignat, 1877

Hyman, Isabel T. & Ponder, Winston F., 2010, A morphological phylogenetic analysis and generic revision of Australian Helicarionidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Stylommatophora), and an assessment of the relationships of the family 2462, Zootaxa 2462 (1), pp. 1-148 : 19-20

Superfamily Helicarionoidea Bourguignat, 1877

Remarks. Helicarionoidea was defined by Hausdorf (1998) as containing taxa with an epiphallic caecum, a flagellum with an axial filament and mantle lobes (although mantle lobes were also present in several other groups, including Euconulidae ). The superfamily was made up of three groups, Ariophantidae , Urocyclidae and Helicarionidae . Hausdorf (1998) showed that the three family-group taxa can be divided by only one character: in Helicarionidae the penial sheath is open at the distal end (as in other Limacoidea s. l.), while in Ariophantidae and Urocyclidae the distal end of the penial sheath is fused to the epiphallus. Based on this, Hausdorf (1998) moved several taxa from Ariophantidae to Helicarionidae (Durgellinae, Girasiinae, Xesta, Sesara , Sarika and Teraia ).

Based on the results of our analyses, we define Helicarionoidea as follows: Shell complete or reduced. Mantle usually with visible minor blood vessels. Stimulator absent or present; if present, stimulator section A 5 absent or present; sections A 3 and A 4 absent; section A 2 usually with papilla (see appendix for explanation of stimulator section abbreviations), dart absent or present. Penial sheath open ( Helicarionidae ) or closed ( Ariophantidae , Urocyclidae ) at distal end. Epiphallic retractor caecum and epiphallic flagellum absent or present. Bursa copulatrix inserted on vagina or if vagina absent, at junction of penis and free oviduct. Spermatophore soft capsule with long firm tail-pipe.

Description. Shell present, complete or reduced. Shell shape variable, sculpture, if present, typically weak; mantle laps and lobes variable. Sole of foot tripartite; caudal apparatus present, formed from curled up sole. Kidney unilobed; mantle gland absent. Genital system oviparous; oviduct glandular. Bursa copulatrix inserted on vagina or if vagina absent, at junction of free oviduct and penis. Stimulator absent or present. Penial sheath present, sometimes not covering entire penis; open ( Helicarionidae ) or fused to epiphallus ( Ariophantidae , Urocyclidae ) at distal end. Epiphallic retractor caecum absent or present; epiphallic flagellum absent or present. Spermatophore soft capsule with long, firm tail-pipe with various sculpture.