Pisidium cf. casertanum ( Poli, 1791 )

Schultheiss, Roland, Ndeo, Oscar Wembo, Malikwisha, Meni, Marek, Carina, Bössneck, Ulrich & Albrecht, Christian, 2011, Freshwater molluscs of the Eastern Congo: notes on taxonomy, biogeography and conservation, African Invertebrates 52 (2), pp. 265-284 : 277

Pisidium cf. casertanum ( Poli, 1791)

Fig. 3H

Cardium casertanum: Poli 1791: 65 , pl. 16, fig. 1. (Type locality: “in rivuli Alveo per regium Casertae”,

Italy)

Taxonomic remarks: This species is reported to be cosmopolitan (e.g., Kuiper 1966; Mandahl-Barth 1988), but recent molecular studies indicate that this taxon is not monophyletic and comprises several species ( Lee & Ó Foighil 2003; Schultheiss et al. 2008). Thus, we identify it tentatively.Although the shell shape is similar to P. viridarium , our specimens are missing a callus—a typical hinge character of P. viridarium . Moreover, preliminary molecular analyses indicate that the specimens described here do not cluster with specimens of P. viridarium from its type locality (unpubl. data).

Habitat description: We found this species near Mutwanga town in the Tandibo R. at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains. The substrate consisted mainly of sand and gravel.

Collecting site: 3.

IUCN Red List Category: Least Concern ( P. casertanum ) ( Budha 2010).