Placostylus, or flax snails, are a genus of very large, air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Bothriembryontidae. The shells of the snails in this genus can be as large as 4.5 inches (11 cm) in maximum dimension. Many species within this genus are now extinct.

Taxonomy

Placostylus is the type genus of the family Placostylidae. It was placed within Placostylidae. Breure et al. (2010) moved Prestonella and Bothriembryon to Placostylidae. Subsequently, Breure & Romero (2012) confirmed previous results from 2010 and they renamed Placostylidae to Bothriembryontidae.

Distribution

This genus of snails occurs in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Lord Howe Island, and Northland in New Zealand. There are three species in New Zealand and no subspecies.

Species

In former classification, two subgenera were recognized: subgenus Basileostylus Haas, 1935 subgenus Maoristylus Haas, 1935 Species within this genus include: