Family Achatinidae Swainson, 1840

This is a large and diverse family of snails, distributed in the tropics and subtropics, as well as in the western Palaearctic. There is a single introduced, European species, Cecilioides acicula, in Canada, where it is only known from southern Ontario. It was formerly placed in the family Ferussaciidae.

Altogether, there are over 40 species of Cecilioides in Southern and Central Europe east to Central Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa (Schileyko 1999). There are also species in the Caribbean region and South America. Most are subterranean or cave dwelling.

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Subfamily Cecilioidinae Mörch, 1864

Genus Cecilioides J. Férussac, 1814

• Cecilioides A. Férussac 1814: 48; type species by monotypy (ICZN 1955, Opinion 335): Buccinum acicula O. F. Müller, 1774.

Etymology. Latin: caecus, blind + Greek: oidos, form. Feminine (ICZN 1955, Opinion 335); see Falkner et al. (2002).

Subgenus Cecilioides J. Férussac, 1814

Cecilioides (Cecilioides) acicula (O. F. Müller, 1774) ♢Introduced