Palaina flammulata, Neubert, Eike & Bouchet, Philippe, 2015

Neubert, Eike & Bouchet, Philippe, 2015, The Diplommatinidae of Fiji - a hotspot of Pacific land snail biodiversity (Caenogastropoda, Cyclophoroidea), ZooKeys 487, pp. 1-85 : 44-45

Taxon classification Animalia Mesogastropoda Diplommatinidae

Palaina flammulata sp. n. Figs 98-100

Type material.

Holotype MNHN IM-2000-27453, paratypes MNHN/173 IM-2000-27454, NMBE 516861/20. Type locality: Viti Levu, Qalimare karst, East of Natawatawadi, 40 m, dry forest, -17.9816 177.6266, leg. Bouchet, 21.08.1998.

Etymology.

Adjective formed from the Latin noun flamma = fire, diminutive flammula, to describe the colour pattern of this species.

Diagnosis.

Shell sinistral, broadly oval, with a pattern of brown axial flames, large bulb, whorls with widely spaced ribs and occasionally interspersed smaller ribs, columella twisted with a truncate basal tooth.

Description.

Shell sinistral, broadly oval, protoconch acute, granulated; basic shell colour yellowish to white, with a pattern of brown axial flames between the ribs; last whorl not constricted, with a large bulb; teleoconch sculpture of widely spaced ribs with occasionally interspersed smaller ribs, rib pattern constant throughout the whole shell; fine spiral threads visible on the upper teleoconch whorls (high magnification required); last whorl slightly ascending; aperture circular, sometimes with a double lip, broadly adhered to the last whorl; umbilicus closed, periomphalum narrow; columella twisted, forming a narrow lamella, and ending in a truncate basal tooth; bulb lamella present.

Operculum flat, corneous, multispiral, with a short apophysis, OD = 0.61.

Measurements.

Holotype (Fig. 98): H = 3.45; D = 1.81; PH = 1.25; PD = 1.31; W = 7.

Distribution

(Fig. 170). Only known from the type locality.

Remarks.

Palaina flammulata sp. n. is very similar to Palaina subregularis , but differs from it by having a large bulb with a strong bulb lamella, irregular ribbing pattern, and a narrow columellar lamella. Palaina parietalis sp. n. and Palaina truncata sp. n. differ by possessing a parietalis.