Virpazaria (Virpazaria) deelemanorum dhorai Reischütz et al., 2010

Fehér, Zoltán, Deli, Tamás, Erőss, Zoltán P. & Lika, Romilda, 2019, Taxonomic revision of the subterranean genus Virpazaria Gittenberger, 1969 (Gastropoda, Spelaeodiscidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 558, pp. 1-25 : 9-11

Virpazaria (Virpazaria) deelemanorum dhorai Reischütz et al., 2010

Fig. 3 A–E

Virpazaria dhorai A. Reischütz, N. Reischütz & P. L. Reischütz, 2010: 29 , figs 1–2.

Virpazaria deelemanorum – Welter-Schultes 2012: 212 (in part).

Virpazaria (Virpazaria) deelemanorum dhorai – Gittenberger 2015: 27 , figs 9–10.

Diagnosis

Compared to nominate subspecies, shell somewhat smaller and lower palatal knob palpably larger.

Material examined

Holotype

ALBANIA • rocks between Xhajë and Makaj, along Koplik–Bogë road; Jul. 2009; A. Reischütz, N. Reischütz and P.L. Reischütz leg.; NHMW 107224 .

Other material

ALBANIA • Shkodër district, Drisht, right bank of Kiri River opposite fortress hill; 42.1304° N, 19.609° E; 90 m alt.; 28 Jun. 2016; Erőss, Fehér, Szekeres and Grego leg.; HNHM 103421 • Shkodër District, Drisht, right bank of Kiri River opposite fortress hill; 42.1304° N, 19.609° E; 90 m alt.; 28 Jun. 2016; Erőss, Fehér, Szekeres and Grego leg.; NHMW 110430 /MN/0987 • Malësia district , 0.5 km NE of Xhajë; 42.3306° N, 19.6057° E; 650 m alt.; 4 Jul. 2015; Erőss, Fehér and Grego leg.; HNHM 103423 • Malësia district , 0.5 km NE of Xhajë; 42.3306° N, 19.6057° E; 650 m alt.; 4 Jul. 2015; Erőss, Fehér and Grego leg.; NHMW 110430 /MN/0988 .

Dimensions

H 1.8–2.25 mm; W 3.4–4.2 mm.

Remarks

Gittenberger (2015) mentioned that the protoconch of V. d. dhorai is coarsely granular and that the teleoconch has some irregular radial lines and a very fine microsculpture of incised spiral lines. This, however, is discernible on fresh specimens. Only a few specimens of the nominate form (the types) are known and all are too weathered to observe anything about their shell microsculpture; it is also difficult to conclude whether it is a consistent feature that the palatal knobs are equal-sized in the nominate form. Gittenberger (2015) was somewhat uncertain about the systematic position of the two taxa, but due to the limited amount of material of V. d. deelemanorum , he kept them as subspecies.

Distribution

The range of this species can be found east-northeast of the Shkodër Basin ( Albania and Montenegro) ( Gittenberger 1975). The nominate subspecies is known from two locations at Mt Fundina (northeast of Podgorica in Montenegro), ca 5–6 km from each other, namely Pecina Cafa Pesatica and Pecina od Zavora near Peuta. The subspecies dhorai was found east of the Shkodër Basin, in Bogë Valley near Xhajë and in the Kiri River Valley near Drisht. The newly discovered latter site extends the known range of this species southwards and indicates that further research in this area might reveal additional locations and a larger range.

The occurrences are associated with three different bedrock types, namely Xhajë on Upper Jurassic and Drisht on Middle Triassic, whereas the two non-georeferenced sites east of Podgorica are probably on Upper Cretaceous limestone.

Figures

Fig. 3. Shells of species of Virpazaria Gittenberger, 1969. A–E. Virpazaria (Virpazaria) deelemanorum dhorai Reischütz et al., 2010. A–D. Holotype (NHMW 107224). E. Drisht (HNHM 103421). F–L. Virpazaria (Virpazaria) stojaspali Reischütz et al., 2009. F–J. Štegvaš Pass (HNHM 103441). K–L. Holotype (NHMW 106690). Scale bar = 1 mm.