Haedropleura bucciniformis (Bellardi, 1847)

Figs. 13–18, 61–63

Raphitoma bucciniformis Bellardi, 1847: 110, pl. 4, fig. 22.

Pleurotoma Ponzii De Rayneval et al., 1854: 19 .

Bela bucciniformis Bellardi, 1877: 149, pl. 5, fig. 8 (with synonymy). Bela (Haedropleura) bucciniformis Cerulli-Irelli, 1910: 51 [243], pl. 5[36], fig. 1 (with synonymy). non Bela bucciniformis Greco, 1970: 291, pl. 4, figs. 2–3.

Bela bucciniformis Ferrero et al., 1981: 74, pl. 17, fig. 2 (syntype).

Bela (Bela) bucciniformis Cavallo & Repetto, 1992: 140, fig. 375.

Bela bucciniformis Chirli, 1997: 51, pl. 13, figs. 3–5 (with synonymy). Bela bucciniformis Ver a-P el ảez, 2002: 210, pl. 4, figs. A’, B’.

Haedropleura bucciniformis Scarponi & Della Bella, 2004: 54, figs. 83a, b, 90.

Original description. [Testa turrita: spira subcylindrica: anfractibus planulatis, longitudinaliter costatis: costis 8 crassiusculis, continuis, interstitiis aequantibus, transversim lineolis fuscis cinctis: ultimo antice abbreviato, subtruncato: canali indistincto: aperture ovata, antice dilatata.

Piccola specie composta di sei o sette giri di spira appiattiti portanti ciascuno otto coste longitudinali, rette, rotondate, continue, eguali agli interstizii, attraversati da varie linee di color rossiccio scuro: l’ultimo anfratto brevissimo, quasi troncato anteriormente a foggia dei Buccini.].

Type material. The original type material, from Vezza d’Alba (Zanclean), consisting of four syntypes, is housed at MSNT (Bellardi-Sacco Collection). Specimen number 0 11.06.0 0 4, figured by Ferrero Mortara et al. (1981, pl. 17, fig. 12), is here designated the lectotype in accordance with the purpose of ensuring the name’s proper and consistent application of a taxon (see ICZN Code, 1999: article 74.7.3).

Type locality. Vezza d’Alba (Cuneo), Italy.

Material examined. Pliocene – Zanclean: Il Treppiede (Florence), 43°29’37”N, 11°07’21”E, 1 sh.; Vezza d’Alba (Cuneo) in MSNT 2 sh.; Villalvernia (Alessandria) in MGGC, 1 sh.; – Zanclean/early Piacenzian: Cedda River (Poggibonsi), 43°23’44”N, 11°11’52”E, 4 sh.; Guistrigona (Siena), 43°19’24”N, 11°29’16”E, 1 sh.; – Piacenzian: La Serra (Pisa), 43°39’31”N, 10°48’59”E, 2 sh.; La Speranza (Siena), 43°26’29”N, 11°06’01”E, 2 sh.; Melograni (Siena), 43°26’23”N, 11°03’05”E, 4 sh.; Terre Rosse (Siena), 43°19’32”N, 11°30’50”E, 3 sh. Pleistocene – Calabrian: Monte Mario (Roma) in MGGC, 1 sh.

Remarks. Bellardi’s species has a small, solid, cylindro-conic shell with a multispiral protoconch (2.4 to 2.8 whorls; average diameter 0.68 mm, SD= 0.06 mm; see Appendix 1), indicating a planktotrophic larval phase. The protoconch sculpture consists of sparse, widespread punctate markings and, on the last whorl, 6 to 8 arched, opisthocline folds (see Fig. 61). The teleoconch consists of max. ~6.5 almost flat-sided whorls, separated by a shallow, slightly marginated suture, giving the spire a distinctive cyrtoconoid outline. The axial ornamentation consists of 8–9 prominent, well-rounded ribs on the last whorl and 9–10 on the penultimate whorl (see Appendix 1). Ribs are almost straight, each as wide as their interspaces, and extend from suture to suture. On the last whorl they are visible also on the short neck. Growth lines are evident and replicate the outer lip shape. Teleoconch spiral ornamentation is well marked on most specimens, dense (even though some specimens show well-spaced spiral elements, and consisting of rounded ridges of two different sizes Figs. 16–18). On the fasciole and on the neck spiral elements are respectively smaller and more closely packed, and coarser and more widely spaced. The aperture is elongate-oval, with a thick parietal callus and a thickly variced outer lip shaped as in H. septangularis . It ends in a very short, wide anterior canal. The anal sinus is wide and shallow on most specimens, but in some the outer lip varix and the parietal callus affects the sinus shape. Well preserved specimens commonly record traces of the original color pattern, consisting of 3–5 maroon spiral lines on spire whorls and 7–9 on body whorl.

Haedropleura bucciniformis shows some morphological affinities to H. septangularis . However, it has always been separated on the basis of: 1) the cyrtoconoid spire; 2) the higher number of ribs on early whorls; 3) stronger and more widely spaced spiral sculpture with several maroon colored spiral lines; 4) the more superficial suture; 5) the protoconch with a slightly more numerous whorls and stronger axial ornamentation; and 6) on average H. bucciniformis has a smaller teleoconch (see Appendix 1).