Little Pine Key

Little Pine Key

The following are reported from Little Pine Key:

  • Liguus fasciatus grahicus Pilsbry 1912

  • Liguus fasciatus dryas Pilsbry 1932

  • Liguus fasciatus roseatus Pilsbry 1912

  • Liguus fasciatus solidus (Say 1825)

  • Liguus fasciatus crassus Simpson 1920

  • Liguus fasciatus cataneozonatus Pilsbry 1912

  • Liguus fasciatus testudineus Pilsbry 1912

The Little Pine Key L. f. crassus and solidus are of the same pedigree. According to Archie Jones, 20% of the shells in any solidus population are pure white, not faded but genetically white. They account for many of the shells pigeonholed as crassus.

Some lossmanicus-like shells have been found on Ramrod Key and Torch Key, and another crassus variety has been found on the Torch Keys, No Name Key and Big Pine Key. A white graphicus-like variety has been found on Howe Key. Together, these four varieties probably account for most of the records of crassus, a problematic form.

 
The few roseatus found on Little Pine Key are very pale and elongate.

The Little Pine Key L. f. graphicus is distinguished from those of nearby No Name Key, the type locality, by a narrower peripheral band. The Little Pine shells often have markings similar to those of the No Name Key L. f. innominatus and are often labeled as such. These L. f. graphicus vary in ground color from deep yellow to almost white, with one color phase or the other dominant in some colonies.

The L. f. castaneozonatus and L. f. testudineus, reportedly released here by Chris Grimshawe over 50 years ago, are very much like their Brickell Hammock (Miami) ancestors and show a considerable amount of variation. They have been somewhat influenced by L. f. dryas and L. f. graphicus, being rather glossy and demonstrating new pattern aspects.

These specimens illustrated above have their natural texture - dry and untreated with oil or ArmorAll. This is helpful, especially with Keys shells, as natural gloss or dullness are important in making identifications. They appear as they would to an observer in the field. All of the specimens illustrated were collected by Ben Anlage of Miami between 1975 and 1977 with the exception of the L. f. crassus and L. f. solidus which were collected by Archie Jones. (PP)

Back