New Zealand Invertebrates
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Succinea archeyi, Dune Snail
Succinea archeyi is a small (up to 12mm) terrestrial snail endemic to northern New Zealand living exclusively in sandfield and prostrate shrubland on coastal dunes.
The species is cryptic and sedentary during dry weather, but becomes active in the wet when snails are commonly found crawling out in the open away from vegetative cover. Succinea archeyi is herbivorous, and has been observed grazing on blue green algal mats (as pictured), Spinifex and Coprosma.
It is threatened with extinction due to habitat degradation resulting from weed invasion, stock, land development and erosion. This individual is part of a remnant population at Spirits Bay on the Aupouri Peninsula.
As far as I could tell, this is the only living image online of this rare snail.
