:Quantula striata

This species occurs in Singapore, Malaysia,{{Cite journal |last1=Daston |first1=M. M. |last2=Copeland |first2=J. |year=1993 |title=The luminescent organ and sexual maturity in Dyakia striata |journal=Malacologia |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=9–19 |url=https://archive.org/stream/malacologia351993inst#page/8/mode/2up }} Cambodia, the Philippines, Fiji, and some islands in the Rhio Archipelago.

The shell of this species is dextral (right-handed) in coiling. The shell of an adult snail is 16–27 mm in width. The umbilicus is narrow.[http://www.freewebs.com/worldofsnails/asiaandthepacificislands.htm Asia and the Pacific Islands - The World of Snails] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404001248/http://www.freewebs.com/worldofsnails/asiaandthepacificislands.htm |date=April 4, 2010 }} The color of the shell is brown, shading to white underneath.{{Cite journal | last1 = Counsilman | first1 = J. J. | last2 = Ong | first2 = P. P. | doi = 10.1007/BF02348856 | title = Responses of the luminescent land snail Dyakia (Quantula) striata to natural and artificial lights | journal = Journal of Ethology | volume = 6 | pages = 1–8 | year = 1988 | s2cid = 12203232 }}

The length of the body is up to 5–6 cm. The dorsal part of the head and foot is dark brown in color. The ventral parts are creamy white in color. The eye tentacles are long, and the eye spots are large.

Quantula striata is the only terrestrial gastropod known to exhibit bioluminescence.{{Cite journal | last1 = Isobe | first1 = M. | last2 = Uyakul | first2 = D. | last3 = Goto | first3 = T. | last4 = Counsilman | first4 = J. J. | title = Dyakia bioluminescence—1. Bioluminescence and fluorescence spectra of the land snail, D. striata | doi = 10.1002/bio.1170020204 | journal = Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence | volume = 2 | issue = 2 | pages = 73–79 | year = 1988 | pmid = 3213594 }} This was not discovered until 1942, when it was reported by Dr. Yata Haneda (see also Haneda 1946), probably because the flashes are quite dim. The purpose of the snail's bioluminescence is not yet fully understood, but it is thought to have some relation to animal communication. Light is emitted by an organ known as the "organ of Haneda," located in the head-foot region of the adult snail. This organ consists of a 0.5 mm-wide cluster of giant cells and is a part of the suprapedal gland. The snail flashes while it is moving, and half as intensely when it is feeding, and does not flash when it is inactive.{{cite journal |author1=Copeland J. |author2=Daston, M. M. |year=1989 |title=Bioluminescence in the terrestrial snail Dyakia (Quantula) striata |journal=Malacologia |volume=30 |issue=1–2 |pages=317–324 |url=https://archive.org/stream/malacologia301989inst#page/316/mode/2up }} Flashes lasts 0.5–6.0 s.

The light produced is yellow-green, with a wavelength of about 515 nm. The substance which produces it has not yet been identified.{{cite journal |last1=Isobe |first1=Minoru |last2=Uyakul |first2=Duangchan |last3=Sigurdsson |first3=Jon B. |last4=Goto |first4=Toshio |last5=Lam |first5=Toong J. |title=Fluorescent substance in the luminous land snail, Dyakia striata |journal=Agricultural and Biological Chemistry |date=1991 |volume=55 |issue=8 |pages=1947–1951 |doi=10.1080/00021369.1991.10870892}} Isobe at al. (1991) stated that the fluorescent substance "may be similar to flavin".

The eggs of this species glow, and so do newly hatched snails. Juveniles can produce flashes of light, as can most, but not all, adults.

In Singapore these snails live in a variety of disturbed habitats, such as lawns, walkways and rubbish dumps, and like most land snails, they are observed more often after rain.{{cite web|url=http://shell.kwansei.ac.jp/~shell/life/e_striata.html |title=On Quantula striata (Gray, 1834) a bioluminescence snail with a compilation of related works |work=Micro shells |access-date=November 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106022643/http://shell.kwansei.ac.jp/~shell/life/e_striata.html |archive-date=November 6, 2009 }}

These snails feed on vegetation, fruit and vegetables, and also on the decaying flesh of already dead animals.

In captivity the snails can feed on cucumber, lettuce, carrots, apple, and boiled eggs. The snails can eat chalk for calcium, and commercially available rat food for protein.

• Latia neritoides, a freshwater snail from New Zealand, is the only other pulmonate gastropod that shows bioluminescence.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite journal | last1 = Copeland | first1 = J. | title = Optic nerve responses to light stimulation in the bioluminescent terrestrial snail, Dyakia (Quantula) striata | doi = 10.1016/0300-9629(88)91046-8 | journal = Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A | volume = 89 | issue = 3 | pages = 391–400| year = 1988 }}
• {{cite journal | last1 = Copeland | first1 = J. | last2 = Counsilman | first2 = J. J. | year = 1986 | title = Neuroethological Studies of Behavior in the Land Snail Dyakia (Quantula) striata | journal = International Society for Neuroethology Abstracts | volume = 1 | page = 93 }}
• {{cite journal | last1 = Copeland | first1 = J. | last2 = Counsilman | first2 = J. J. | last3 = Loh | first3 = D. | last4 = Chan | first4 = S. Y. | last5 = Tan | first5 = W. H. | last6 = Maneri | first6 = M. | year = 1987 | title = Factors Affecting the Rate of Flashing and Loss of Luminescence in an Asian Land Snail Dyakia striata | journal = Veliger | volume = 29 | pages = 394–439 }}
• {{cite journal | last1 = Haneda | first1 = Y | year = 1946 | title = A luminous land snail, Dyakia striata, found in Malaya | journal = Seibutsu | volume = 1 | pages = 294–298 }}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091106022643/http://shell.kwansei.ac.jp/~shell/life/e_striata.html Photo of the live snail]
• [http://www.femorale.com.br/shells/photo.asp?idconcha=46900&cod=5076&url=%2Fshells%2Fspecies.asp%3Ffamily%3DARIOPHANTIDAE%26cod%3D5076 Image of the shell]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716025437/http://www.seashellhub.com/Ariophantidae/QuantulastriataIpoh.JPG Four views of one shell]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110616092307/http://shell.kwansei.ac.jp/~shell/pic_book/img04/hikarimm.jpg More shell images]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q7268962}}

Category:Dyakiidae

Category:Gastropods of Asia

Category:Molluscs of Cambodia

Category:Molluscs of Indonesia

Category:Molluscs of Malaysia

Category:Molluscs of the Philippines

Category:Bioluminescent molluscs

Category:Gastropods described in 1834

Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray