Invertebrate Zoology
Malacology and Marine Invertebrates
John Slapcinsky,
Collections Manager
Research Statement
Housing, agriculture and industry are rapidly modifying nearly all the worlds land, eliminating animals and plants adapted to natural habitats. At the same time, commerce is introducing generalist species adapted to human modified habitats. Both problems are leading to the homogenization of the worlds faunas. In many cases faunal changes are occurring before areas are well surveyed, this is especially true for invertebrates. In some parts of the world most invertebrate species remain unknown and are in danger of being extirpated before being discovered. Even in North America among the best known invertebrate faunas in the world, new species are discovered frequently. Most of these are small species restricted to patchily distributed and poorly sampled microhabitats.
I am interested in documenting diversity of terrestrial snails through taxonomic surveys of under-sampled geographic areas and microhabitats. One of these surveys a multi-year effort to sample the terrestrial snails of the Papuan Peninsula and nearby islands of eastern New Guinea has uncovered many undescribed species, suggesting the area is much more diverse than previously known. Surveys of southeastern North America focusing on small species restricted to specialized habitats including seeps and springs are also uncovering previously unreported species. Surveys also uncover exotic species that have not previously been noticed. Early detection of these exotic and potentially invasive snails facilitates efforts at interdiction and eradication before they become well established and have an opportunity to impact natural habitats and agriculture.
Selected publications
- Bieler, R. & Slapcinsky, J. 2000. A case study for the development of an island fauna: recent terrestrial mollusks of Bermuda. Nemouria 44: 1-100.
- Robinson, D. & Slapcinsky, J. (in press) Recent introductions of alien gastropods into North America. American Malacological Bulletin.
- Slapcinsky, J. (in press) Six new species of Paryphantopsis from the Papuan Peninsula, New Guinea. The Nautilus.
- Slapcinsky, J. & Coles, B. 2004. Revision of the genus Pilsbryna (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Gastrodontidae) and comments on the taxonomic status of Pilsbryna tridens. The Nautilus 118(2): 55-70.
- Townsend, J. H., Slapcinsky, J., Krysko, K.L., Donlan, E.M., Golden, E.A. (in press) Predation of a tree snail Drymaeus multilineatus (Gastropoda: Bulimulidae) by Iguana iguana (Reptilia: Iguanidae) on Key Biscayne, Florida. Southeastern Naturalist.
