When looking at three years' worth of Shells of the Week in my files, I was surprised to see that I hadn't yet covered the Brown-band Wentletrap, Gyroscala rupicola (Kurz, 1860), a not-uncommon local species. The shell is elongate-conical, reaching 20 mm (about 0.8 inch). The main shell sculpture consists of very thin, narrow ribs (or costae), with occasional thicker ones apparently randomly interspersed. The color is cream or light brown, with two spiral bands of darker brown color above and below periphery (widest part) of each whorl. Some specimens may be completely brown. The shell aperture is white and thickened.
The Brown-band Wentletrap, Gyroscala rupicola, from Sanibel. Photo by José H. Leal.