Montenegrina timeae Eross & Szekeres, 2006

Feher, Zoltan & Szekeres, Miklos, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the rock-dwelling door snail genus Montenegrina Boettger, 1877 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae), ZooKeys 599, pp. 1-137 : 105

Taxon classification Animalia Stylommatophora Clausiliidae

Montenegrina timeae Eross & Szekeres, 2006 Fig. 34F

Montenegrina irmengardis timeae Erőss & Szekeres, 2006 in Erőss et al. 2006: 194-196, fig. 15.

Montenegrina skipetarica timeae - Nordsieck 2009: 73.

Diagnosis.

Shell medium to large, ventricose, brownish-corneous. Whorls flat, smooth and glossy. Neck weakly inflexed, densely, irregularly striate-costate. Basal crest strong, peripheral crest barely recognizable. Peristome attached, ovoid, with somewhat swollen margin. Lamellae superior and spiralis overlap. In front view lamella inferior moderately emerged, medium-bent subcolumellaris not visible. Lunella dorsolateral to dorsolateral-lateral, fused to the basalis. Lunella complex with the basalis forms a lambda-like structure. Plica superior often fused to the principalis. Subclaustralis shorter than the basalis, sulcalis residual. Anterior plica superior absent to well developed, never connected to the lunella complex. Clausilium plate barely visible through the aperture. Distinguishable from Montenegrina skipetarica by the distinctly glossy shell surface, weaker-bent lamella subcolumellaris, shorter subclaustralis, and the less visible clausilium.

Dimensions

(in mm). Hs: 15.0-22.0 (holotype 19.7), Ws: 4.5-5.9 (holotype 5.4).

Type locality.

Albania, Mat District, 2 km S of Fshat, toward Gurri i Bardhë, SE of Burrel, along the Klos to Elbasan road, gorge of the Mat River, left side, 610 m, 41.4718°N, 20.0967°E.

Type material.

Type locality, leg. ZE, ZF, JK, DM, 26.x.2002, holotype (HNHM 94855), paratypes (NHMUK 20050222/2, HNC 63186/2, HNHM 94856/126, NHMW 103283/2, RMNH 100315/2, SMF 328087/2, NMBE 22597/3).

Other material.

Type locality, leg. ZF, TN, EM, 15.iv.2014 (HNHM 99009); 6.7 km NE of Gurri i Bardhë, along the Klos to Elbasan road, 650 m, 41.4685°N, 20.0904°E, leg. ZF, TN, EM, 15.iv.2014 (HNHM 99018); same locality, leg. ZF, JK, DM, 9.x.2004 (HNHM 94857); 5.5 km N of Gurri i Bardhë, 740 m, 41.4710°N, 20.0779°E, leg. ZF, TN, EM, 15.iv.2014 (HNHM 99020); same locality, le g. ZF, JK, DM, 9.x.2004 (HNHM 94858); Ura e Vashës, in the gorge of the Lumi i Matit, at its confluence with the Përroi i Gurri i Bardhit, 350 m, 41.4677°N, 20.1048°E, leg. ZF, TN, EM, 15.iv.2014 (HNHM 99011).

Distribution.

Northern part of the Gropa Mts in Central Albania. Known from a few localities around Gurri i Bardhë (near Klos) (Fig. 36).

Remarks.

Originally Montenegrina timeae was described as a subspecies of Montenegrina skipetarica , which has a similar, lambda-like lunella complex.

This species, as usual in this genus, was found on cliffs at all but one site. At Ura e Vashës, where Montenegrina helvola magna inhabits the rock surface at the entrance of the Mat gorge, a few specimens of Montenegrina timeae were found under stones in the riverbed gravel. This seemed to be a temporary colonisation by specimens drifted away by flood water, thus it should not be a basis for far-reaching conclusions regarding the habitat preferences of the species.