« Protoconch of 1.5 whorls, protruding, rounded, decorated with 10 to 12 fairly strong, regular, contiguous spiral cords. Teleoconch of 3.5 whorls, adorneded with fairly strong spiral cords and flexible axial ribs. The ribs are variable but generally stronger than the spiral cords. In the latter case, they appear rather like folds on which the spiral sculpture continues without forming a nodosity at the intersection. » – Gofas & Warén: “Taxonomie de quelques espèces du genre Alvania (Mollusca, Gastropoda) des côtes ibériques et marocaines”, Bollettino malacologico vol. 18(1), Milano 1982, p.8.

« The ribs disappear completely below the periphery of the last whorl, and are often reduced or absent over the entire final portion of it. The peristome is continuous, piriform. The labrum is thickened by a large and strong bead, and somewhat projected forward. The columellar border is narrow and shows no umbilical slit. Colour usually uniformly white, beige or brown, or with the start of two spiral bands behind the labrum.
This species is well characterized by the spiral sculpture of its potoconch, already noticed by Jeffreys (1884). […] The colouring of Alvania parvula never presents the quadrangular subsutural spots that characterize Alvania punctura and Alvania imperspicua. » Ibid. – Same spot. 2,8mm.