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Helminthoglypta hertleini Hanna & Smith, 1937
Key Characteristics: Diameter 17.8-22.6 mm. Shell thin, delicate, depressed-helicoid, with 5.0-5.7 whorls. Spire broadly conic; suture impressed, whorls somewhat flattened. Shoulder sloping, periphery somewhat sharply rounded, sloping to base. Embryonic whorls about 1.75. Post-embryonic sculpture of smooth, regular, rib-like, convex-forward collabral rugae, disrupted at about the onset of the body whorl by malleation; malleation weaker on base, often not present on shoulder until last half-turn. Body whorl expanding rapidly, apico-basally constricted and roundly downturned behind lip. Base produced; umbilicus contained 9-10 times in diameter. Aperture ovate; lip turned outward, reflected at base, little thickened; inner lip covering about half of umbilicus. Shell pinkish buff under a straw-colored periostracum.
Synonyms: None.
Key to Helminthoglypta hertleini and Similar Species
| 1 | Shell large for genus (reaching 30-40 mm in diameter), robust; malleation generally strong; periostracum olivaceous or medium brown | 2 |
| Shell medium-sized for the genus (generally not exceeding 23-24 mm in diameter), thin, often delicate; malleation dense or sporadic, but typically shallow; periostracum usually straw-colored | 3 | |
| 2 | Shell helicoid; spire broadly conic; inner lip covering half or more of umbilicus; lower chamber of penis flaring at insertion on atrium (Transverse Ranges from Ventura to Riverside counties, Los Angeles Basin, Peninsular Ranges to northwestern Baja California) | H. tudiculata (Binney, 1843) |
| Shell broadly depressed-helicoid; spire low-domed to broadly conic; inner lip usually covering one-fourth or less (slightly over half in H. c. rex) of umbilicus; lower chamber of penis short, cylindrical or slightly swollen medially (Shasta to Kern counties) | H. cypreophila (Binney & Bland, 1869) | |
| 3 | Embryonic whorls swollen and projecting; fine, incised spiral striae present, mainly on shoulder of body whorl; early collabral rugae fold-like; malleation often scattered, usually not greatly disrupting collabral rugae; umbilicus contained about 12 times in diameter; inner lip covering 1/4 to entire umbilicus (Sierra Nevada, Plumas to Tulare counties) | H. napaea Berry, 1938 |
| Embryonic whorls not projecting; incised spiral striae absent; early collabral rugae rib-like, disrupted by malleation at about onset of body whorl; umbilicus contained 9-10 times in diameter, about half covered by inner lip | H. hertleini |
Helminthoglypta talmadgei Roth, 1988
Key Characteristics: Diameter 18.2-28.0 mm. Shell thin, depressed-helicoid, with 5.2-6.1 whorls. Spire broadly conic; suture moderately impressed, whorls somewhat flattened. Periphery rounded or slightly compressed toward axis. Embryonic whorls about 1.75. Post-embryonic sculpture of coarse collabral rugae, incised from fourth whorl on by fine spiral striae and disrupted by irregular malleation; striae strongest on shoulder of body whorl. Body whorl sometimes nearly smooth, especially below periphery, gently descending behind lip. Base malleated, inflated around umbilicus; umbilicus contained 14.5 times in diameter. Aperture broadly ear-shaped, with smooth varix immediately inside lip; lip turned outward and thickened, most strongly at base; inner lip covering less than half of umbilicus. Shell pale pinkish tan under a golden brown periostracum; crests of malleations lighter. Luster matte to silky. Animal pale tan, shading to gray on dorsum, or medium gray with purplish cast. Mantle over lung clear buff with black spots covering 25-30% of its surface. Common duct of mucus glands slender; mucus bulbs large, spindle-shaped. Penis cylindrical; upper chamber of same diameter as epiphallus at its junction; lower chamber with two longitudinal pilasters and small papilla at summit. Epiphallic caecum about 0.5-0.6 times as long as penis plus epiphallus. Spermathecal diverticulum about equal to considerably longer than spermathecal duct above its origin.
Synonyms: None.
Key to Helminthoglpyta talmadgei and Similar Species
| 1 | Shell large (23-40+ mm in diameter, broadly conic to depressed-helicoid; malleation extensive, generally strong; body whorl rather tightly coiled; periostracum medium to dark chestnut brown; lower chamber of penis globose, without papilla at summit (central Humboldt to Santa Cruz counties) | H. arrosa (Binney, 1858) |
| Shell medium-sized to large (15-40+ mm in diameter), helicoid or somewhat depressed; malleation patchy, weak, often almost absent from body whorl; body whorl expanding rapidly, usually tumid; periostracum straw-colored to golden brown; lower chamber of penis cylindrical; mucus bulbs large, spindle-shaped (northern Mendocino County northward) | 2 | |
| 2 | Lower chamber of penis without papilla at summit; malleation stronger than spiral sculpture; sometimes reaching large size (over 40 mm in diameter near Cape Mendocino) (Trinidad, Humboldt County, to northern Mendocino County coast) | H. expansilabris (Pilsbry, 1898) |
| Lower chamber of penis with hemispheric papilla at summit; malleation and spiral sculpture of about equal strength; shell rarely exceeding about 28 mm in diameter | 3 | |
| 3 | Inner lip covering half to all of umbilicus; shell helicoid; upper chamber of penis with pear-shaped swelling at anterior end, enclosing thickened walls of inner tube (southern Oregon to northwestern Humboldt County) | H. mailliardi Pilsbry, 1927 |
| Inner lip covering half or less of umbilicus; shell somewhat depressed; upper chamber of penis not swollen at anterior end, inner tube not thickened | H. talmadgei |
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