Cepaea

Cepaea is a genus of large air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Helicidae. The shells are often brightly coloured and patterned with brown stripes. The two living species in this genus, C. nemoralis and C. hortensis, are widespread and common in Western and Central Europe. In North America, C. hortensis is native on the northeast coast, but both species have been introduced elsewhere, and they are also spreading further east in Europe. Both have been influential model species for ongoing studies of genetics and natural selection. Like many Helicidae, these snails use love darts during mating.

==Species== left|thumb|A comparison between Cepaea hortensis (left) and [[Caucasotachea vindobonensis (right)]]For a long time, four living species were classified in the genus Cepaea. However, molecular phylogenetic studies suggested that two of them should be placed in the genera Macularia and Caucasotachea, which are not immediate relatives of either Cepaea or each other: Cepaea hortensis (O. F. Müller, 1774) – white-lipped snail or garden banded snail Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758) – brown-lipped snail or grove snail Cepaea sylvatica (Draparnaud, 1801), now Macularia sylvatica Cepaea vindobonensis (Férussac, 1821), now Caucasotachea vindobonensis Several other fossil species have been described. ==Interspecific relations==