Ground beetle and tiny snail for ID

[Africa]

My son found this handsome chap in the garden today. Over 1 cm long.



And my daughter noticed these tiny snails (around 2 mm long) under a sea shell also in the garden.

[bigdave60dog]

And little fleas have smaller fleas and so "ad infinitum".
Your Snails are probably "Vertigo" species (or Tooth Snails) It`s impossible to say for sure from a picture.
Some of these are on Red List of endangered species but no-one is going to stop a house being built because a rare snail lives on the land.
Dave

[jamesthornton]

Pterostichus sp?

EDIT: I can't tell if the reddish legs are only in the picture or on the actual beetle?

[Africa]

thank you James and Dave. Vertigo! quite a name, I will follow that up, they are dormant with the lack of rain, I might put them under a microscope to see more details.
As for the beetle, I checked Pterostichus and it does look it. As some head and tarsi details are relevant for ID, here is a close up of the head.

I have many more shots. The red in tarsal segments, palpi and antenna are apparent in most shots.

[Fauna]

Hi Africa...

The Groundbeetle will be Pterostichus madidus.

These small snails can be very tricky to id without a close up of the mouth, many will have "teeth" that will be layed out in a certain partern and number. Vertigo can be really tricky to id, V. pygmaea being about the most common to come across.

There are other possibles, Pupilla muscorum, Luaria cylindracea and could be one or two more, but we do need to see inside and around the mouth opening.

Regards Chris...

[Africa]

Thank you Fauna. The snail ID seems tricky, do you need to kill them to see this?

[Fauna]

Originally Posted by Africa

Thank you Fauna. The snail ID seems tricky, do you need to kill them to see this?

No need to kill them, if they are "dormant" they will usually be retracted enough to see the detail. I've also just realised that you a microscope, are you able to take a close up photo of the mouth through the microscope...it would be good to have a look at one, don't get many of these LBJ's on WAB.

Regards Chris...

[Africa]

Fauna,
Today I tried to find more and there were indeed many in the pot in the garden where the shell was. I am a bit unsure as to the origin of the shells, possibly UK, but they could have come from Spain (Alicante), so I am prepared to believe they might be aliens! Of course, with the rain we've had yesterday and today they have all emerged and the only dead one I found crumbled in my enormous fingers doh!
I used my camera and cropping as a microscope as the toy microscope I've got did not give much more detail.
Following the key in Plfeger's guide Molluscs I came to Pupilla muscorum. But help with confirming ID would be much appreciated.

[Fauna]

Hi Africa...

Seems like you a good population of these snails there.

Looks like you have Lauria cylindracea, these will be similar to Pupilla muscorum. Yours show the lip of the mouth turned out and with more of a "showy" Parietal tooth at the top of the mouth. The tooth in P. muscorum will be less showy and set more into the mouth.

There is another very similar species to Lauria cylindracea and that is L. sempronii. This is very rare, found only in the Cotswold on a few walls.


Regards Chris...

[Africa]

Thank you fauna, that is so helpful. It does match better the mouth opening size and the "showy" tooth. Also, it is a relief it is a common species I probably overlooked as it is so tiny and the pot is near a brick wall covered on ivy.