Dear Geoff,

to distinguish Otala lactea and Otala punctata from the shell is quite
easy. Otala lactea  has
a dark inner lip, the aperature is also dark and sharp markd off
(demarceted). instead the lip
of Otala punctata is mostly white or whitish, seldom darker and the brown
or dark coloration
of the mouth is not sharp marked off. Otala lactea is somewhat more
depressed as Otala punctata,
the pattern might in some cases the same, punctata is maybe more punctated
or spottled.
with best greetings
Helmut


Helmut "Helix" Nisters
private:
Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
phone: 0043 / 512 / 57 32 14
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
website: www.netwing.at/nisters
office:
Natural History Department of the
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck
Feldstrasse 11a
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
phone: 0043 / 512 / 58 72 86 - 37
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
website: www.tiroler-landesmuseum.at


----------
> Dear Geoff,
> Many thanks for your information concerning Otala in your collection.
> None of the lots belong to O. lactea. The correct name is O. punctata
> (Mueller, 1774).
> I have still to see the first lactea from South America; also the
> populations in
> Georgia belong to punctata.
> Many thanks and best regards,
> Henk K. Mienis
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Geoff Macaulay <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 10:59 AM
> Subject: Re: Otala in the Americas
>
>
> > Dear Henk,
> > Surprise surprise I have 4 lots of Otala lactea in my collection.
> >
> > Lot1:  on dunes on banks of Rio de La Plata, Punta del Este,
> >        URUGUAY: l982  collector unknown
> >        1 specimen
> >        lip margin white
> >
> > Lot 2:  Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA;
> >         l97l  collector unknown
> >         1 specimen
> >         lip margin white
> >
> > Lot 3:  Rio Negro, ARGENTINA:
> >         no other data
> >         2 specimens
> >         lips white
> >
> > Lot 4:  1 mile west of Fort Pulaski, Cockspur Is., Chatham County,
> >         Georgia, USA: ex Leslie Hubricht collection
> >         1 specimen
> >         lip white
> >
> > Hope this is of use
> > Regards
> >
> > Geoff
> >
> >
>