Freshwater Bivalves of Illinois – INHS Mollusk Collection

The following lists were compiled by Kevin Cummings, Alison Stodola, Jeremy Tiemann, and Rachel Vinsel. Distributional data taken from Cummings (1991), Cummings and Mayer (1992), Cummings et al. (1997), Sneen et al. (2009), Tiemann et al. (2013), Stodola et al. (2014), Tiemann et al. (2017), and Stodola et al. (2021). Taxonomy for Unionoida follows Graf and Cummings (2021), except for most taxonomic updates since the publication.

Special status includes:

ST – State Threatened
SE – State Endangered
FT – Federally Threatened
FE – Federally Endangered
X – Extirpated
(†) – Extinct
SGCN – Species in Greatest Conservation Need (Illinois Wildlife Action Plan)
W – Watch List (Illinois Wildlife Action Plan)
I – introduced/non-native

Class Bivalvia

Order Unionoida – Freshwater Mussels (82 species)
- Family Margaritiferidae (1 species)
  - Cumberlandia monodonta (Say, 1829) – Spectaclecase SE, FE
- Family Unionidae (81 species)
  - Alasmidonta marginata Say, 1818 – Elktoe SGCN
  - Alasmidonta viridis (Rafinesque, 1820) – Slippershell SGCN
  - Amblema plicata (Say, 1817) – Threeridge
  - Anodontoides ferussacianus (Lea, 1834) – Cylindrical Papershell
  - Arcidens confragosus (Say, 1829) – Rock Pocketbook SGCN
  - Cambarunio iris (Lea, 1829) – Rainbow SE
  - Cyclonaias nodulata (Rafinesque, 1820) – Wartyback W
  - Cyclonaias pustulosa (Lea, 1831) – Pimpleback
  - Cyclonaias tuberculata (Rafinesque, 1820) – Purple Wartyback ST
  - Cyprogenia stegaria (Rafinesque, 1820) – Fanshell SE, FE
  - Ellipsaria lineolata (Rafinesque, 1820) – Butterfly ST
  - Elliptio crassidens (Lamarck, 1819) – Elephantear SE
  - Epioblasma flexuosa (Rafinesque, 1820) – Leafshell (†)
  - Epioblasma obliquata (Rafinesque, 1820) – White Catspaw FE, X
  - Epioblasma personata (Say, 1829) – Combshell (†)
  - Epioblasma propinqua (Lea 1857) – Tennessee Riffleshell (†)
  - Epioblasma rangiana (Lea, 1838) – Northern Riffleshell SE, FE
  - Epioblasma sampsonii (Lea, 1861) – Wabash Riffleshell (†)
  - Epioblasma torulosa (Rafinesque, 1820) – Tubercled Blossom (†)
  - Epioblasma triquetra (Rafinesque, 1820) – Snuffbox SE, FE
  - Eurynia dilatata Rafinesque, 1820 – Spike SE
  - Fusconaia flava (Rafinesque, 1820) – Wabash Pigtoe
  - Fusconaia subrotunda (Lea, 1831) – Longsolid FT, X
  - Hemistena lata (Rafinesque, 1820) – Cracking Pearlymussel FE, X
  - Lampsilis abrupta (Say, 1831) – Pink Mucket SE, FE
  - Lampsilis cardium Rafinesque, 1820 – Plain Pocketbook
  - Lampsilis fasciola Rafinesque, 1820 – Wavyrayed Lampmussel SE
  - Lampsilis higginsii (Lea, 1857) – Higgin’s Eye SE, FE
  - Lampsilis hydiana (Lea, 1838) – Louisiana Fatmucket SGCN
  - Lampsilis ovata (Say, 1817) – Pocketbook SGCN
  - Lampsilis sietmani Keogh and Simons, 2019 – Canary Kingshell
  - Lampsilis siliquoidea (Barnes, 1823) – Fatmucket
  - Lampsilis teres (Rafinesque, 1820) – Yellow Sandshell
  - Lasmigona complanata (Barnes, 1823) – White Heelsplitter
  - Lasmigona compressa (Lea, 1829) – Creek Heelsplitter SGCN
  - Lasmigona costata (Rafinesque, 1820) – Flutedshell SGCN
  - Leaunio lienosa (Conrad, 1834) – Little Spectaclecase SGCN
  - Leptodea fragilis (Rafinesque, 1820) – Fragile Papershell
  - Leptodea leptodon (Rafinesque, 1820) – Scaleshell SE, FE
  - Ligumia recta (Lamarck, 1819) – Black Sandshell SGCN
  - Megalonaias nervosa (Rafinesque, 1820) – Washboard
  - Obliquaria reflexa Rafinesque, 1820 – Threehorn Wartyback
  - Obovaria olivaria (Rafinesque, 1820) – Hickorynut
  - Obovaria retusa (Lamarck, 1819) – Ring Pink FE, X
  - Obovaria subrotunda (Rafinesque, 1820) – Round Hickorynut FT, X
  - Ortmanniana ligamentina (Lamarck, 1819) – Mucket
  - Paetulunio fabalis (Lea, 1831) – Rayed Bean FE, X
  - Plectomerus dombeyanus (Valenciennes, 1827) – Bankclimber W
  - Plethobasus cicatricosus (Say, 1829) – White Wartyback FE, X
  - Plethobasus cooperianus (Lea, 1834) – Orangefoot Pimpleback SE, FE
  - Plethobasus cyphyus (Rafinesque, 1820) – Sheepnose SE, FE
  - Pleurobema clava (Lamarck, 1819) – Clubshell SE, FE
  - Pleurobema cordatum (Rafinesque, 1820) – Ohio Pigtoe SE
  - Pleurobema plenum (Lea, 1840) – Rough Pigtoe FE, X
  - Pleurobema rubrum (Rafinesque, 1820) – Pyramid Pigtoe X
  - Pleurobema sintoxia (Rafinesque, 1820) – Round Pigtoe
  - Potamilus alatus (Say, 1817) – Pink Heelsplitter
  - Potamilus capax (Green, 1832) – Fat Pocketbook SE, FE
  - Potamilus ohiensis (Rafinesque, 1820) – Pink Papershell
  - Potamilus purpuratus (Lamarck, 1819) – Bleufer SGCN
  - Ptychobranchus fasciolaris (Rafinesque, 1820) – Kidneyshell SE
  - Pyganodon grandis (Say, 1829) – Giant Floater
  - Quadrula fragosa (Conrad, 1835) – Winged Mapleleaf FE, X
  - Quadrula quadrula (Rafinesque, 1820) – Mapleleaf
  - Reginaia ebenus (Lea, 1831) – Ebonyshell SE
  - Sagittunio subrostratus (Say, 1831) – Pondmussel
  - Simpsonaias ambigua (Say, 1825) – Salamander Mussel SE
  - Strophitus undulatus (Say, 1817) – Creeper
  - Theliderma cylindrica (Say, 1817) – Rabbitsfoot SE, FT
  - Theliderma metanevra (Rafinesque, 1820) – Monkeyface ST
  - Toxolasma lividum (Rafinesque, 1831) – Purple Lilliput SE
  - Toxolasma parvum (Barnes, 1823) – Lilliput
  - Toxolasma texasiense (Lea, 1857) – Texas Lilliput
  - Tritogonia nobilis (Conrad, 1854) – Gulf Mapleleaf SGCN
  - Tritogonia verrucosa (Rafinesque, 1820) – Pistolgrip SGCN
  - Truncilla donaciformis (Lea, 1828) – Fawnsfoot
  - Truncilla truncata Rafinesque, 1820 – Deertoe
  - Uniomerus tetralasmus (Say, 1831) – Pondhorn
  - Utterbackia imbecillis (Say, 1829) – Paper Pondshell
  - Utterbackiana suborbiculata (Say, 1831) – Flat Floater
  - Venustaconcha ellipsiformis (Conrad, 1836) – Ellipse SGCN
Order Venerioda
- Family Sphaeriidae – Fingernail Clams (27 species)
  - Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) – Mottled Fingernail Clam I
  - Pisidium adamsi (Prime, 1852) – Adam Peaclam
  - Pisidium casertanum (Poli, 1791) – Ubiquitous Peaclam
  - Pisidium compressum (Prime, 1852) – Ridged-beak Peaclam
  - Pisidium conventus (Clessin, 1877) – Alpine Peaclam
  - Pisidium cruciatum (Sterki, 1895) – Ornamented Peaclam
  - Pisidium dubium (Say, 1817) – Greater Eastern Peaclam
  - Pisidium equilaterale (Prime, 1852) – Round Peaclam
  - Pisidium fallax (Sterki, 1896) – River Peaclam
  - Pisidium ferrugineum (Prime, 1852) – Rusty Peaclam
  - Pisidium idahoense (Roper, 1890) – Giant Northern Peaclam
  - Pisidium lilljeborgi (Clessin, 1886) – Lilljeborg Peaclam
  - Pisidium nitidum (Jenyns, 1832) – Shiny Peaclam
  - Pisidium punctatum (Sterki, 1895) – Perforated Peaclam
  - Pisidium punctiferum (Guppy, 1867) – Striate Peaclam
  - Pisidium rotundatum (Prime, 1852) – Fat Peaclam
  - Pisidium variabile (Prime, 1852) – Triangular Peaclam
  - Pisidium walkeri (Sterki, 1895) – Walker Peaclam
  - Sphaerium fabale (Prime, 1852) – River Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium lacustre (Müller, 1774) – Lake Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium occidentale (Lewis, 1856) – Herrington Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium partumeium (Say, 1822) – Swamp Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium rhomboideum (Say, 1822) – Rhomboid Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium securis (Prime, 1852) – Pond Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium simile (Say, 1817) – Grooved Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium striatinum (Lamarck, 1818) – Striated Fingernail Clam
  - Sphaerium transversum (Say, 1829) – Long Fingernail Clam
- Family Cyrenidae (3 species)
  - Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774) / Form A I
  - Corbicula largillierti (Phillipi, 1844) / Form B I
  - Corbicula sp. / (Form D) I
- Family Dreissenidae (2 species)
  - Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (Andrusov, 1897) – Quagga Mussel I
  - Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) – Zebra Mussel I

Literature Cited

Cummings KS. 1991. The aquatic Mollusca of Illinois. Pp. 429-439 in L.M. Page and M.R. Jeffords, eds. Our living heritage: The biological resources of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 34(4):357-477.

Cummings KS, Mayer CA. 1992. Field guide to freshwater mussels of the Midwest. Illinois Natural History Survey, Manual 5. 194 pp.

Cummings KS, Mayer CA. 1997. Distributional checklist and status of Illinois freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Unionacea). Pp. 129-145 in K.S. Cummings, A.C. Buchanan, C.A. Mayer, and T.J. Naimo, eds. Conservation and management of freshwater mussels II: Initiatives for the future. Proceedings of a UMRCC Symposium, 16-18 October 1995, St. Louis Missouri. Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 293 pp.

Graf DL, Cummings KS. 2021. A ‘big data’ approach to global freshwater mussel diversity (Bivalvia: Unionoida), with an updated checklist of genera and species. Journal of Molluscan Studies 87. https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyaa034.

Keogh SM, Simons AM. 2019. Molecules and morphology reveal ‘new’ widespread North American freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 138:182-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.029.

Sneen ME, Cummings KS, Minarik T, Wasik J. 2009. The discovery of the nonindigenous, Mottled Fingernail Clam, Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (Illinois River Drainage), Cook County, Illinois. Journal of Great Lakes Research 35:627-629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2009.08.008.

Stodola AP, Douglass SA, Shasteen DK. 2014. Historical and current distributions of freshwater mussels in Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Technical Report 2014(37). 82 pp.

Sodola AP, Lydeard C, Lamer JT, Douglass SA, Cummings KS, Campbell D. 2021. Hiding in plain sight: genetic confirmation of putative Louisiana Fatmucket Lampsilis hydiana (Mollusca: Unionidae) in Illinois. Freshwater Mollusk Biology and Conservation 24:59-86. https://doi.org/10.31931/fmbc-d-19-00040.

Tiemann JS, Cummings KS, Schwegman JE. 2013. First occurrence of the Bankclimber Plectomerus dombeyanus (Valenciennes, 1827) (Mollusca: Unionidae) in Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 106:1-2.

Tiemann JS, Haponski AE, Douglass SA, Lee T, Cummings KS, Davis MA, ÓFoighil D. 2017. First record of a putative novel invasive Corbicula lineage discovered in the Illinois River, Illinois, USA. BioInvasions Records 6:159-166. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2017.6.2.12.