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These Pyrgulopsis snails were found in two shallow springs within the township and range described for the type locality of Pyrgulopsis ruinosa.

Pyrgulopsis ruinosa was formally considered extinct in 1998 when Hershler (1998) stated, "Snails were collected in the shallow outflow, and were absent both in the spring pool and in other springs of this complex. This species has not been collected on subsequent visits to this now degraded area and is probably extinct." Hershler (1998) believed that Pyrgulopsis ruinosa was extinct when he described the species.

Hurt (2004) states, “Three described species of Pyrgulopsis have gone extinct since their description in the early 1900s and it is likely that other species have been lost before they have been discovered.” Three species of Nevada Pyrgulopsis are presumed to be extinct-- the Carinate Duckwater Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis carinata) from Nye County, the Fish Lake Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis ruinosa) from Esmeralda County, and the Corded Pyrg from Washoe County (Hershler and Thompson 1987, Hershler 1998).

Pyrgulopsis carinata was refound in 2007 and 2009, so that species is no longer classified as extinct.

Sada and Vinyard (2002) reported that extinction of P. ruinosa occurred after springs were impounded on the McNett Ranch in Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada.

I am not aware of any subsequent searches for this species, but in every publication and report since 1998, Pyrgulopsis ruinosa has been classified as extinct (Hershler and Liu 2017, Hurt 2004, Johnson et al. 2013, Sada 2009).

Based on location alone, these Pyrgulopsis snails seem to be the long-thought extinct species, Pyrgulopsis ruinosa!!! I will be conducting subsequent visits to the springs to collect specimens for genetic and morphological analysis to confirm their identity.

Hershler, R. 1998. A systematic review of the hydrobiid snails (Gastropoda: Rissooidea) of the Great Basin, western United States, Part I. Genus Pyrgulopsis. The Veliger 41(1):1-132.

Hershler, R. and H.P. Liu. 2017. Annotated checklist of freshwater Truncatelloidean gastropods of the western United States, with an illustrated key to the Genera. U.S. Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management.

Hurt, C.R. 2004. Genetic divergence, population structure and historical demography of rare springsnails (Pyrgulopsis) in the lower Colorado River basin. Molecular Ecology 13:1173–1187.

Johnson, P., A. Bogan, K. Brown, N. Burkhead, J. Cordeiro, J. Garner, P. Hartfield, D. Lepitzki, G. Mackie, E. Pip, E. Tarpley, T. Tiemann, N. Whelan, and E. Strong. 2013. Conservation status of freshwater gastropods of Canada and the United States. Fisheries. 38. 247. 10.1080/03632415.2013.785396.

Sada, D.W. 2009. A guide to springsnail (Family Hydrobiidae) identification and monitoring. Desert Research Institute.