Cathaica (Cathaica) bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004

Pall-Gergely, Barna, Hunyadi, Andras, Meng, Kaibaryer & Fekete, Judit, 2022, A review of the genus Laeocathaica Moellendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Camaenidae), ZooKeys 1086, pp. 33-76 : 33

Cathaica (Cathaica) bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004

Figure 1

Cathaica (Cathaica) bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004: 238 [Chinese description], fig. 219 (erroneous figure showing L. carinalis specimen); 439 [English description].

Type locality.

陕西洛川县黑木沟. "Hemugou twon [sic!], Luochuan County (35°7'N, 109°04'E), Shaanxi Province".

Remarks.

Chen and Zhang (2004) described two species relevant for the present study: Cathaica (Cathaica) bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 and Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004. According to the original description of Cathaica bizonalis (page 238 for Chinese, page 439 for English description), it is a dextral species characterised by a keel and two spiral bands (one above and one below the keel), and it is known from Shaanxi Province. The accompanying figure ( Chen and Zhang 2004: fig. 219), however, shows a sinistral Laeocathaica species, identified here as L. carinalis .

According to the original description of Laeocathaica carinalis , that species is characterised by a sinistral, strongly depressed, keeled shell with a broad umbilicus. However, the provided photo ( Chen and Zhang 2004: fig. 334) shows a sinistral juvenile shell of probably a Laeocathaica species with blunt keel and narrow umbilicus.

Examining the specimens deposited in IZCAS revealed the following:

The shell labelled as the holotype of Cathaica bizonalis is a dextral, juvenile shell.

A jar labelled as paratypes of Cathaica bizonalis (IZCAS TM 006579-006595) contains several probably conspecific juvenile specimens in ethanol.

Another jar labelled as paratypes of Cathaica bizonalis (IZCAS TM 097575-097587) contained 13 dry adult shells of a Laeocathaica carinalis (sinistral, strongly keeled species).

Among those shells (IZCAS TM 097575-097587), specimen IZCAS TM 097578 is exactly the same shell as in fig. 219 of Chen and Zhang (2004).

A jar labelled as paratypes of Laeocathaica carinalis (IZCAS TM 006612-006625) contained several adult specimens of L. carinalis in ethanol.

Another jar labelled as paratypes of Laeocathaica carinalis (IZCAS TM 097588-097602) contained several dry adult shells of Cathaica bizonalis (two of them figured in this work, see Fig. 1). This clearly shows that shells of the above taxa have been confused even before the publication. As a result, not only were the different samples mixed up with the labels in the collection, but also in the original descriptions.

Based on Chen and Zhang (2004) and the examination of the specimens deposited in IZCAS, we conclude the following:

Fig. 219 in Chen and Zhang (2004) shows the holotype of Laeocathaica carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 instead of Cathaica bizonalis.

Fig. 334 in Chen and Zhang (2004) shows an unidentifiable juvenile Laeocathaica species, and not Laeocathaica carinalis.

A holotype was designated in the original description of Cathaica bizonalis, so a lectotype cannot be chosen later. The holotype cannot be located because there is no photograph in the original description, and because the paratypes are of similar size (i.e., the given measurements of the holotype are insufficient to recognize the shell). So, we treat it as lost (perhaps in the lot of paratypes). Since all the paratypes belong to one single species, and are consistent with the original description, we know what the authors intended by the taxon, so designation of a neotype is not needed.

Figures

Figure 1. Paratypes of Cathaica (Cathaica) bizonalis Chen & Zhang, 2004 A IZCAS TM 097593 B IZCAS TM 097600. Scale bar: 10 mm. Photographs: Kaibaryer Meng.

Figure 8. Distribution of Laeocathaica amdoana Moellendorff, 1899 in China (detail from Fig. 2 A).

Figure 11. Distribution of Laeocathaica species in China (detail from Fig. 2 A).

Figure 14. Distribution of Laeocathaica species in China (B in Fig. 2).

Figure 17. Distribution of Laeocathaica species in China (A in Fig. 2).

Figure 24. Distribution of Laeocathaica species in China (A in Fig. 2).