Monacha (Monacha) cf. compingtae (Pallary, 1929)

Neubert, Eike & Bariche, Michel, 2013, On the Monacha species of Lebanon (Gastropoda, Hygromiidae), ZooKeys 311, pp. 1-18 : 15

Monacha (Monacha) cf. compingtae (Pallary, 1929) Fig. 17

Theba compingtae Pallary, Mémoires présentés a l’Institut d’Ègypte 12: 7, pl. 1, figs 4-6. 1929

Monacha cf. compingtae, Boessneck, Zoology in the Middle East, 54: figs 5a, 42, 48. 2011

Specimens examined.

Zgharta (Prov. North Lebanon), dry ruderal vegetation with calcareous stones in side valley of Nahr Abou Ali above the village, 34.3922°N, 35.8929°E, 80 m alt., leg. U. Boessneck et al.; Hadchit (Prov. North Lebanon), slopes of the Nahr Quadicha, open calcareous fields, locally with loose vegetation und shrubs, partly ruderally impacted, 34.2459°N, 35.9881°E, 1000-1250 m alt., leg. U. Boessneck et al.; Aammiq (Prov. Bekaa), rocky open fields with loose vegetation at the edge of a wetland, ruderally impacted, 33.7284°N, 35.7858°E, 870 m alt., leg. U. Boessneck et al.; Afqa (Prov. Mount Lebanon), open calcareous fields with loose vegetation on single shrubs near the cave, locally wet, 34.0671°N, 35.8291°E, 1160 m alt., leg. U. Boessneck et al.

This Monacha species was identified by Hausdorf (in Boessneck 2011) as Monacha (Monacha) cf. compingtae (Pallary, 1929). We were able to check the specimen figured by Boessneck (2011, Fig. 5a) from Aammiq in order to compare it to the species we finally identified as Monacha bari . Both species differ by the possession of a white subsutural spiral band in Monacha cf. compingtae (not seen in any specimen of Monacha bari ), and the teleoconch sculpture, which is almost malleate in Monacha cf. compingtae, while Monacha bari shows axial riblets combined with spiral threads.

Monacha compingtae was described from Tartus and Safita, both localities from the coastal area in southern Syria. Later, Pallary (1939) extended the distribution area of Monacha compingtae with more records from Syria ( “kilomètre 139 de la route de Lattaquié à Alep" = probably somewhere NE of Idlib), "Koubba Cheikh Mokbel", "entre Lattaquié et Kerdaha" and “Slenfé (Nahib Younès” = Slinfah 35.583°N, 36."°E)). Hausdorf (2000: 84) reported this species from the Hatay area in southern Turkey, which constitutes the northern part of the eastmediterranean mountain ridge. In fact, this species is conchologically very similar to Monacha compingtae , the two white spiral bands are already mentioned by Pallary in the original description. However, he also mentions a transversal striation on the shell, which is not seen on the specimen from Aammiq. It might well be that this taxon from Lebanon represents another yet undescribed species.