8. Esperiana esperi (Férussac, 1823)

Findings in Serbia.

Melanopsis esperi: Möllendorff (1873) .

Hemisinus esperi: Nikolajević (1907) .

Fagotia esperi: Jaeckel et al. (1958); Matoničkin et al. (1975); Arambašić (1994); Jovanović (1999); Karaman (2001); (2005); Simić & Simić (2004); Živić et al. (2006).

Esperiana esperi: Karaman & Karaman (2007); Paunović et al. (2007a, 2008, 2012 a); Marković et al. (2012); Martinović-Vitanović et al. (2013); Novaković (2014 –2017 pers. comm.); Živić (2020).

Morphology. Medium-sized snails (conical elongated shell up to 25 mm high). Shell is smooth, or finely striated with 6–8 whorls, upper whorls can be eroded. Colouration pattern of shell is yellowish, brownish, or black, and usually has irregular red spots. Aperture is acute ovate and broader than the literal line of shell. For more details see Welter-Schultes (2012: 35, figure at the bottom of the page).

Distribution and ecology. Ponto-pannonic species inhabiting a wide spectrum of habitats (muddy substrate, solid substrate and rocks, submerged vegetation, and roots) in rivers and lakes (Welter-Schultes 2012). In Serbia, though it rarely reaches high population densities, this snail is quite common and widespread. It could be found in large Pannonian river-systems (Danube, Sava, Tisza) as well as in the Drina, Velika Morava-Zapadna Morava-Južna Morava and Timok drainages.

Other remarks. Recent investigations suggest that this species is a thermal specialist particularly susceptible to seasonal temperatures fluctuations (Tytar & Makarova 2015). On the IUCN Red List it has been assessed as LC (Fehér 2011 b).

Genus Microcolpia Bourguignat, 1884