Diplommatinidae

Diplommatinidae is a family of minute land snails (micromollusks) with opercula, classified within the superfamily Cyclophoroidea. Members are terrestrial gastropods that occur in tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, and are typically only a few millimeters in size.

Shells in this family are generally elongated or turreted and may show a range of sculpture from smooth to finely ridged. The aperture commonly bears one or more internal lamellae (parietal and columellar folds) and, in many genera, a columellar tooth or complex tooth structure. These apical and subsutural features are important diagnostic characters and can be highly species-specific.

Diplommatinidae species inhabit humid forest floors, leaf litter, or limestone habitats such as karst outcrops and caves. Many taxa are microendemics with very restricted geographic distributions, sometimes confined to a single limestone massif or island.

The family includes multiple genera, with Diplommatina as the type genus; other well-known groups often cited in classifications include Opisthostoma and Plectostoma. Taxonomic placement has varied among authors, but Diplommatinidae is generally treated within the Cyclophoroidea.

Because of their tiny size and narrow habitats, many diplommatinids are poorly known, and new species are described with increasing frequency. Their survival is closely tied to the integrity of their microhabitats, making them of interest for biodiversity surveys and limestone habitat conservation.