Platyla banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842 )

Lika, Romilda, Deli, Tamás, Paparisto, Anila, Erőss, Zoltán P. & Fehér, Zoltán, 2021, Contribution to the taxonomy and distribution of Aciculidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda) in Albania and the surroundings, Zootaxa 5004 (1), pp. 131-150 : 135-136

Platyla banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842)

Figs 4A–N

* Pupula lineata var. banatica Rossmässler 1842: 12 , pl. 53, fig. 736.

Acicula (Platyla) banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842) — Zilch, A. 1976: 123, pl. 11, fig. 4.

Platyla banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842) —Boeters, H.D., Gittenberger, E. & Subai, P. 1989: 95, figs 10n–o, 87, 89, 90, 143. Platyla banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842) —Dhora, D. & Welter-Schultes, F.W. 1996: 106.

Platyla banatica ( Rossmässler, 1842) —Welter-Schultes, F.W. 2012: 78, unnumbered fig.

Platyla pinteri ( Subai, 1976) —Dhora & Welter-Schultes, F.W. 1996: 107, fig. 44 [misidentification].

Platyla pinteri ( Subai, 1976) — Welter-Schultes, F.W. 2012: 81, unnumbered fig. [partim].

Diagnosis. Shell fusiform, large (H: 3.9–5.5 mm), shiny yellowish-brown, with barely convex whorls without an edge below the suture. The body whorl is about or somewhat less than half of the total height. Aperture has a sinulus. Peristome widened, most strongly on the basal and columellar region. Parietal callus well developed. In side view, the aperture rises at the penultimate whorl. Neck bulge strongly developed, with a more or less sharp edge posteriorly.

Material. Albania, ’ Maranaj bei Skutari’ (= Mt. Maranaj near Shkodër); Latif [L. Buljubašić] leg.; NHMW 113394 . Albania, ’N-Alb., Malšent bei Oroshi’ (= Mt. Shënt near Oroshi); 1904; L. Buljubašić leg.; NHMW 41242 . Albania, Gjirokastër district, Gjirokastër, fortress hill; 40.0727° N, 20.1392° E; 360 m alt.; 19 Jul 2007; Z. Fehér and L. Tamás leg.; HNHM 104637 . same locality as for preceding; 9 Jul 2019; Z. Barina, F. Bego, Z. Fehér, T. Fehér, A. Lindon, M. Mecsnóber, G. Puskás and T. Szederjesi leg.; HNHM 104641 . Albania, Tepelenë district , 1 km SE of Luzat; 40.2559° N, 20.0418° E; 395 m alt.; 9 Jul 2019; Z. Barina, F. Bego, Z. Fehér, T. Fehér, A. Lindon, M. Mecsnóber, G. Puskás and T. Szederjesi leg.; HNHM 104640 . Albania, Gjirokastër district, Mali i Lunxherise, 6 km NE of Suhë to Poliçan , roadside rock; 40.0958° N, 20.297° E; 380 m alt.; 10 Jul 2019; Z. Barina, F. Bego, Z. Fehér, T. Fehér, A. Lindon, M. Mecsnóber, G. Puskás and T. Szederjesi leg.; HNHM 104642 . Albania, Tepelenë district, Këlcyre W 7 km, a cave near Peshtan junction; 40.2971° N, 20.1077° E; 150 m alt.; 11 Jul 2019; Z. Barina, F. Bego, Z. Fehér, T. Fehér, A. Lindon, M. Mecsnóber, G. Puskás and T. Szederjesi leg.; HNHM 104643 . Albania, Sarandë district, Kudhës , (4 km N of Qeparo); 40.0903° N, 19.8103° E; 80 m alt.; 12 Jul 2019; Z. Fehér and T. Fehér leg.; HNHM 104687 . Greece, Eastern slope of Mt. Xerovouni , 3 km above Monolithion; Jul 1987; P.L. Reischütz leg.; NHMW 85593 . Kosovo, Pejë / Peć District, E of Ruica Summit, 16 km on a forest road N of Dushkajë / Duškaja to Mt. Mokna / Mokra ; 42.8631° N, 20.5607° E; 1440 m alt.; 22 Oct 2018; T. Deli, Z. Erőss and Z. Fehér leg.; HNHM 104638 . Kosovo, N or Ruica Summit, Uvor sink-hole, 20 km on a forest road N of Dushkajë / Duškaja ; 42.8796° N, 20.5512° E; 1575 m alt.; 22 Oct 2018; T. Deli, Z. Erőss and Z. Fehér leg.; HNHM 104639 . Montenegro, between Ribariće and Rožaj (ca. 20 km from the Tutin junction; 42.8544° N, 20.2057° E; 19 Jul 1972; L. Pintér, P. Subai and A. Szigethy leg.; HNHM 09028 , NMBE 531304. Montenegro, Bjelašica Mts. Biogradsko Lake ; 42.9023° N, 19.5944° E; 1100 m alt.; 16 Aug 1987; P. Subai leg.; NMBE 531235 . North Macedonia: Matka Gorge , 7 km SW of Skopje; 41.951° N, 21.2995° E; 340 m alt.; 6 July 2008; T. Deli, G. Páll-Gergely and P. Subai leg.; NMBE 531184 , DT.

Remarks. Welter-Schultes (1996) and Dhora & Welter-Schultes (1996) report on an alleged Platyla pinteri ( Subai, 1976) record from Gjirokastër. P. pinteri was orginally described from Epirus (NW Greece), 5 km E of Igoumenitsa. Boeters et al. (1989) provide further locations nearby Igoumentsa and Ioannina ( Fig. 1B ), from Cephalonia Island and the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese. Boeters et al. (1989) claim that P. pinteri differs from P. banatica in the following characters: P. banatica is usually larger, especially wider, darker in color and usually has a higher, less flattened neck bulge which is less clearly delimited posteriorly. In the original description, Subai (1976) mentions also the less convex whorls that distinguish P. pinteri from P. banatica .

Comparing material from the type areas (e.g. Figs 4A–B, 4 O-Q), we found no clear difference in the shape and set-up of the neck bulge as well as the convexity of the whorls. Moreover, the shell height ranges of the two species overlap partially [H of P. pinteri : 3.6–4.3 mm; H of P. banatica : 4.0– 5.4 mm] according to Boeters et al. (1989). Among others, the Mt. Maranaj sample in the NHMW (H: 4.0 mm, Fig. 4 E–F .) and also the holotype of P. pinteri (H: 4.2 mm) fall within this overlapping range. The absolute width and especially the relative slenderness (W b /H) of the spire however, seem to distinguish them even within this height range. P. banatica is wider than P. pinteri [W b values are 1.2–1.4 mm vs. 1.0– 1.1 mm], and accordingly, the shortest P. banatica specimens are much stouter than P. pinteri specimens of the same height [W b /H of P. pinteri is 0.25–0.26, whereas W b /H of P. banatica is 0.29–0.31].

Based on the absolute and relative dimensions of the specimens illustrated by Dhora & Welter-Schultes (1996) and Welter-Schultes (2012) as well as the own collected material from southern Albania, we need to say that P. banatica rather than P. pinteri lives in and around Gjirokastër. Moreover, there is a sample containing two worn shells with calcified deposit in the NHMW from Monolithion (NHMW 85593, Fig. 4 M–N .), which falls within the P. pinteri rather than the P. banatica range. Based on absolute dimensions and the relative stoutness of the shells, however, is stands closer to P. banatica .

Distribution. In the east-west direction, the species ranges from the Dinaric Mts. to the western part of the Southern Carpathians (i.e. the Banat) and the Apuseni Mts. To the north, it reaches the Mecsek Mts. in SW Hungary. Up to now the southernmost known occurrences were from Montenegro and northern Albania. The new records widen the known range of the species southwards. If the Monolithion population proved to be also P. banatica , this would be the southernmost known occurrence of this species and the first one in Greece ( Fig. 1B ).

Conservation status. The species was assessed as Least Concern at the global level ( Fehér 2011a) because it lives within a relatively wide range and there are several known subpopulations with no known significant threats. The number of known subpopulations in Albania is above five. There is no reason to suppose that the extent of occurrence (EOO), area of occupancy (AOO), number of locations, number of subpopulations or the number of mature individuals are declining or extremely fluctuating. Therefore, it should be assessed as Least Concern (LC) at national level in Albania.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Platyla and Renea species in and around Albania. A. Yellow: P. albanica; yellow star: type locality of P. albanica; red: P. feheri; red triangle pointing up: type locality of P. feheri. B. Black: P. banatica; red: P. pinteri; red triangle pointing up: type locality of P. pinteri; magenta: P. procax; magenta star pointing up: type locality of P. corpulenta; magenta star pointing down: type locality of P. procax. C. White: P. gracilis; white star: type locality of Acicula graeca; magenta: R. kobelti; magenta star pointing up: type locality of R. kobelti; magenta star pointing down: type locality of R. kobelti albanica. D. Red: P. similis; red star pointing up: type locality of Hyalacme beieri; red star pointing down: type locality of Platyla ceraunorum; purple: P. wilhelmi; purple star: type locality of P. wilhelmi.

FIGURE 4. Shells of Platyla species. A–N. Platyla banatica (Rossmässler, 1842). A–B. Romania, Ordinkus Valley (HNHM 85669). C–D. Mt. Shënt (NHMW 41242). E–F. Mt. Maranaj (NHMW). G–H. N of Ruica Summit (HNHM 104639). I–K. Gjirokastër (HNHM 104641). L. Luzat (HNHM 104640). M–N. Monolithion (NHMW 85593). O–T. Platyla pinteri (Subai, 1976). O–Q. Igoumentisa S 5 km (HNHM 69740). R–T. Perama S 3 km (NHMW 85503). Scale bar = 1 mm.