Egila, Dall & Bartsch, 1904

Pimenta, Alexandre D. & Absalão, Ricardo S., 2004, Review of the genera Eulimastoma Bartsch, 1916 and Egila Dall & Bartsch, 1904 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pyramidellidae) from Brazil, Zoosystema 26 (2), pp. 157-173 : 169-170

“ Egila ” virginiae Altena, 1975

( Fig. 6 A-D)

Egila (?) virginiae Altena, 1975: 74 , fig. 29a, b.

Egila virgineae – Mello & Barros 1991: 14, fig. 7.

Odostomia (Egila) virginiae – Díaz & Puyana 1994: 235, pl. 69, fig. 938. — Rios 1994: 186, pl. 61, fig. 869.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype and 98 paratypes (Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Popogaimama Creek, Saramacca District, Suriname.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Brazil. Pernambuco State, Raposa ( praia de Raposa ), tide mark, 1 spec. ( MNHN) ; Praia de Raposa, 1 spec. ( MNHN). — Maranhão State, São Luiz, Praia de Areia Preta , 5 specs ( MNHN) ; São Luiz, Praia de Areia Preta, 1 spec. ( MNHN). — Bahia State, off Caravels , 17.VII.1985, 58 specs ( IBUFRJ 12066 ). — Espírito Santo State, off Camburi , 17.III.1992, IBUFRJ team coll., 1 spec. ( IBUFRJ 5930 ) ; off Aracruz, 18.XII.1989, R. Cruz coll., 2 specs ( IBUFRJ 8997 ). — Rio de Janeiro State, off Cabiúnas , 20.IV.1993 ( IBUFRJ 7267 ) ; Arquipélago de Santana, Macaé, Astro Garoupa , V.1993, 10 specs ( IBUFRJ 9618 ) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Colombian Caribbean; Suriname (Saramacca District) ; N, NE and SE coasts of Brazil (Pernambuco, Maranhão, Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states) .

DESCRIPTION

Shell white, conical-elongated with slightly concave whorls. Holotype 2.2 mm in length; 1.0 mm in width. Protoconch intorted, partially sunken into first teleoconch whorl. Sutures oblique, slightly sinuous, channeled, with adjacent spiral cords. Axial and spiral sculpture present. About 16-18 rounded axial opisthocline ribs producing weak nodules where they cross the spiral cords. These axial ribs may be not visible in the earlier whorls. Base rounded, smooth or with a delicate spiral striae; a small chink-like umbilicus present. Aperture pyriform elongate. Outer lip thin. Columellar fold absent.

REMARKS

“ Egila ” virginiae departure from the typical Egila concept ( Dall & Bartsch 1904, 1909) by its hardly discernible axial ribs on the base and by the absence of the groove at the periphery. Altena (1975) expressed his reservations in placing this species in an apropriate genus, and it is best regarded as a tentative assignment.

In many Brazilian specimens (see Fig. 6 A-D), some disimilarities from Altena’s description and illustration were evident. Our specimens have more distinct spiral striations on the base ( Fig. 6A ) and show few conchological variation: the axial ribs are sometimes not visible in the earlier whorls ( Fig. 6B, C ) and may extent in the base towards the umbilical region but hardly reaching it ( Fig. 6A ). The expression of the suprasutural cord is very variable, especially on the body whorl ( Fig. 6 A-C).

Figures

FIG. 6. — A-D, “Egila” virginiae Altena, 1975; A, MNHN; B-D, MMUFRPE; A-C, whole shells, respective lengths: 3.65 mm, 1.78 mm; 1.52 mm; D, protoconch; E-H, “Egila” ektopa n. sp.; E-G, holotype (MNRJ 10255); E, whole shell, length 2.00 mm; F, last whorl; G, protoconch; H, protoconch of paratype (IBUFRJ 7800). Scale bars: 100 µm.