Vertigo (Vertigo) arctica (WALLENBERG, 1858)

Shell: Dextrous, whorls 4.3-5.2, most often 4.5. Shape ovate, from short to elongate, spire tapered. Whorls from moderately to weakly convex, suture moderately deep to shallow. Aperture nearly semicircular, palatal margin very slightly flattened. Teeth 0-4: columellar, of a very variable size and shape; parietal, short and low lamellate; upper and lower palatal, short and low lamellate or knob-shaped. Umbilicus deep, open. Surface sculpture of distinct, regular, delicate striae. Colour brown of varying intensity, with a reddish tint, teeth lighter.
Dimensions: Height 2.05-2.60 mm, breadth 1.28-1.53 mm, aperture height 0.48-0.65 mm, aperture breadth 0.65-0.98 mm, body whorl height 1.18-1.53 mm.
Ecology: Inhabitant of calcareous mountain areas; in Scandinavia subarctic woodland, open or half open valley slopes, fens; found in litter or tufts of vegetation. In calcareous parts of the Tatra Mts. epilithic grasslands above 1500 m a.s.l.
Distribution: An Arctic-Alpine species: mountains of Norway, a few localities scattered in Sweden and northern Finland; in Central and Western Europe isolated localities at higher mountain altitudes - Alps and Tatra Mts. In Poland the group of Czerwone Wierchy and Kopa Magury in the Tatra Mts. and Maly Sniezny Kociol in the Karkonosze Mts.