Ampullaria insularum, d'Orbigny, 1835

Cowie, Robert H. & Héros, Virginie, 2012, Annotated catalogue of the types of Ampullariidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, with lectotype designations, Zoosystema 34 (4), pp. 793-824 : 804

insularum d’Orbigny, 1835 , Ampullaria ( Fig. 3G )

Ampullaria insularum d’Orbigny, 1835a: 32 [1838: 374, pl. 51, figs 1, 2].

CURRENT TAXONOMIC STATUS. — Pomacea (Pomacea) . Valid species.

TYPE SPECIMENS. — Syntypes MNHN 4462 (2 spms), 4463 (2 spms), 5141 (1 spm).

TYPE LOCALITY. — “Rio Parana ( republica Argentina)” [“Amazone” ( MNHN 4462, 5141), “Rio de la Plata” ( MNHN 4463)].

REMARKS

None of the shells is as large as the dimensions given in the original description. A label with MNHN 4463 says that one of the two shells was the shell figured by d’Orbigny (1838: pl. 51, figs 1, 2). However, the illustration is in fact of a much larger shell reduced to ⅔ of the real size. So none of these shells can be the shell illustrated. Nonetheless, the labels say “Coll. d’Orbigny” so we consider them syntypes. Cowie & Thiengo (2003: 66) considered Ampullaria insularum a junior synonym of Ampullaria gigas Spix in Wagner, 1827, and others have considered Ampullaria gigas a junior synonym of Pomacea maculata Perry, 1810 (see Cowie & Thiengo 2003). The type material of Ampullaria gigas and Pomacea maculata may be lost, so their synonymy, as well as the potential synonymy of Ampullaria insularum with these two species, requires further research. We here retain Ampullaria insularum as a distinct species, contrary to Cowie & Thiengo (2003: 66), pending further study. Other recent studies have also continued to use Ampullaria insularum as a valid name (e.g., Rawlings et al. 2007; Barnes et al. 2008; Hayes et al. 2008, 2009a, b; Hayes 2009).

Figures

FIG. 3.— A, Ampullaria elegans d’Orbigny,1835, syntype MNHN 23081, 31.5 mm; B, Ampullaria turbinis var.erythrochila Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1905, lectotype MNHN 4738, 49.0 mm; C, Ampullaria eumicra Crosse & Fischer, 1890, lectotype MNHN 23082, 29.8 mm; D, Ampullaria gevesensis Deshayes,1838,syntype MNHN 4473, 31.9 mm;E, Ampullaria (Lanistes) grasseti Morelet,1863,probable syntype MNHN 4457, 29.5 mm; F, Ampullaria guyanensis Lamarck,1822,paralectotype MNHN 4459, 86.8mm; G, Ampullaria insularum d’Orbigny, 1835, syntype MNHN 4463, 76.0 mm; H, Ampullaria intermedia Férussac in Quoy & Gaimard, 1825, lectotype MNHN 23083, 36.0 mm.