Maltzanella godetiana ( KOBELT , 1878) Neubert, 2014

Neubert, Eike, 2014, Revision of Helix LINNAEUS, 1758 in its eastern Mediterranean distribution area, and reassignment of Helix godetiana KOBELT, 1878 to Maltzanella HESSE, 1917 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicidae), Contributions to Natural History 26, pp. 1-200 : 178-182

Maltzanella godetiana ( KOBELT, 1878) comb. nov. ( Figs 268–273 )

1878 Helix (Pomatia) godetiana KOBELT, Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 5: 319 [Amorgos, coll. Kobelt ex Godet].

1884 Helix dacoronae LETOURNEUX, Bulletins de la Société malacologique de France, 1: 287 [Santorin "vit sous les rochers entre le couvent Saint-Élie et la colline de Messa Vouno"].

Type material:

godetiana : lectotype SMF 9954 (SD Zilch 1952: 154): H = 39.4; D = 39.5; PH = 29; PD = 21.7; PrD = 8; W = 4.25. dacoronae : syntype MHNG 17941: H = 31.2; D = 33.2; PH = 22.7; PD = 23.1; PrD = 9.5; W = 4.

Specimens examined:

Greek Islands: Kasos: on the way to Agios Georgios, 35.4197 26.9096, 17.04.1982, LIEB (2 subfossil?). Tilos: Western Tilos, from Agios Panteleimonas in direction to Agios Anton, 36.3927 27.3954, 18.06.1996, LIEB (7 subfossil?). Folegandros: Folegandros, 36.6172 24.9162, 12.06.1991, LIEB (2 subfossil?). Amorgos: Island of Amorgos, 36.8401 25.8876, coll. Leutwein ex A. Wild ex J. Thiesse, NMBE 18478/2. Naxos: S of Agiassos, 36.9549 25.4391, 12.12.1979, leg. M. Mylonas, NHMC 50/0982.

Not checked personally (all after Psonis & al. 2014): Astypalea, 36.5393 26.3130; Kounoupoi Islet, 36.538242 26.4677; Pontikousa Islet, 36.5549 26.2286.

Diagnosis: shell large, thin, dark bluish brown with axial yellowish streaks and ribs, protoconch large, dome-shaped, aperture very large, aperture cream coloured, umbilicus closed.

Description: shell of large size, thin, spherical, with a moderately high conical spire; basic shell colour dark bluish brown, usually all five spirals fused, with a bright yellowish spiral in the centre of the last whorl; protoconch large, dome-shaped, its diameter almost reaches 10 mm, smooth, bright corneous to bluish whorls; teleoconch of 3–4 smooth whorls with a dense pattern of relatively fine axial granulated ribs and fine axial yellowish streaks; last whorl descending below the periphery; aperture very large, rounded, palatal shell wall inside aperture dark brown to bluish, apertural rim narrow, labial callus weak, cream coloured, columellar triangle white, relatively small; umbilicus closed in adult shells.

Genital organs ( Fig. 272 ): penis club-shaped, epiphallus somewhat longer than penis; flagellum short, approximately of the same length as epiphallus+ penis; mrp attaching in a central position on the epiphallus; internally, pp1 smaller than pp2, penial chamber short, with perpendicularly arranged folds, both papillae conical with a central perforation; atrial stimulator a massive rounded knob; female system with a very short vaginal tube, dart sac and glandulae mucosae strongly developed, the glandulae with a short basic stem, multi-branched, only slightly longer than dart sac; pedunculus stem long, with a thick and moderately long diverticulum not exceeding the bursa copulatrix and branching off in the proximal third of pedunculus, bursa copulatrix stem longer than pedunculus stem, vesicle rounded and bent downwards.

Distribution ( Fig. 273 ): This species is endemic to several islands in the Central southern Aegean Sea. It differs from M. dickhauti ( KOBELT, 1903) ( Fig. 271 ) by the uniformly dark shell colour which is caused by the almost complete fusion of the spiral bands. In M. dickhauti , these are usually narrow and separate, and the cream basic colour of the shell can be seen easily.

Remark: Interestingly, this species has a diverticulum much shorter than the bursa copulatrix (see also Gambetta 1929, who dissected specimens from Stampalia (= Astypalea)). This is similar to many true Helix species and made it difficult to argue against its affiliation to Helix , because in the other two Maltzanella species, the diverticulum is longer and reaches or even surpasses the bursa copulatrix in length ( Schütt 1976: 67, Figs 1–3 ). This observation is interpreted here as convergence, with the reduction of the diverticulum obviously occurring in both genera. It represents the apomorphic character state, because very long diverticula can be found in several genera within the Helicini .

Figures

Figs 268–271. Species of Maltzanella. Figs 268–270. Maltzanella godetiana (KOBELT, 1878). Fig. 268 godetiana: lectotype SMF 9954, Amorgos, D = 39.5; Fig. 269 dacoronae: syntype MHNG 17941, Santorin, D = 33.2; Fig. 270 NHMC 50/0982, Naxos, Agiassos, D = 35.2. Fig. 271 Maltzanella dickhauti, lectotype SMF 75509, "Jerusalem", D = 31.4. — All photos Neubert, original size.

Fig. 272. Maltzanella godetiana (KOBELT, 1878). Genitalia. NHMC 50/0982, Naxos, Agiassos, situs 55.58.

Fig. 273. Maltzanella godetiana (KOBELT, 1878). Distribution.

Figs 1–9. Helix (Helix) pomatia LINNAEUS, 1758. Fig. 1 compacta, syntype SMF 9573, D = 50.07, Hungary "Gestrüppe der Berglehnen"; Fig. 2 pulskyana, syntype SMF 9525/2a, Hungary "Inseln der Donau", D = 36.6; Fig. 3 hajnaldiana, syntype SMF 9658, Hungary "Budapest, im botanischen Garten", D = 34.1; Fig. 4 solitaria, syntype SMF 74708/2a, D = 31.1; Fig. 5 sabulosa, syntype SMF 9524, D = 40.5, Fig. 6 expansilabris, holotype SMF 9538, D = 45.5; Fig. 7 luteola, holotype SMF 9527, D = 34.6; Fig. 8 pannonica, lectotype SMF 9535, D = 40.5, Fig. 9 lednicensis, syntype SMF 9534/2a, D = 38.3. — All photos Neubert, original size.