Montenegrina prokletiana kovacsorum, Feher, Zoltan & Szekeres, Miklos, 2016

Feher, Zoltan & Szekeres, Miklos, 2016, Taxonomic revision of the rock-dwelling door snail genus Montenegrina Boettger, 1877 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae), ZooKeys 599, pp. 1-137 : 72-74

Taxon classification Animalia Stylommatophora Clausiliidae

Montenegrina prokletiana kovacsorum ssp. n. Fig. 24G

Diagnosis.

Small, very slender subspecies with strongly inflexed neck and emerged, almost marginal, swollen end of the lamella subcolumellaris.

Description.

The small, very slender, light brown shell consists of 8½ to 10½ whorls, which are separated by a deep suture. The lower three whorls are almost of the same width. The surface is smooth over the entire shell except the neck, which is strongly wrinkled-costate from the dorsal side. The neck inflection is very strong and extends to the ventral side. The basal crest is weak, the peripheral one is strong. The light brown peristome is inflexed at the parietal side. The peristome margin is narrow, swollen and deflexed, but it is entirely absent over the upper columellar side. The strong lamella superior emerges from the plane of the peristome. Inward it does not overlap the spiralis. The lamella inferior is emerged, its end abruptly turns toward the aperture. Both the inferior and the medium-bent subcolumellaris terminate in thick, horizontal plicae at the peristome margin. The dorsal-dorsolateral to dorsolateral lunella is separate from the basalis. The subclaustralis is absent, the sulcalis is present. The anterior part of the plica superior is mostly missing, rarely a weak, separately standing residue of it is visible. The clausilium plate is not or only barely visible through the aperture.

Dimensions

(in mm). Holotype Hs: 15.5, Ws: 3.5, Ha: 3.5, Wa: 2.7; paratypes (HNHM 99486, n = 12) Hs: 10.7-16.2 (mean 13.8, S.D. 1.59), Ws: 2.5-3.5 (mean 3.1, S.D. 0.30), Ha: 2.7-3.5, Wa: 1.9-2.8.

Differential diagnosis.

Differs from Montenegrina prokletiana prokletiana ssp. n. by the larger size, marginally ending lamellae inferior and subcolumellaris, and the absence of a subclaustralis.

Type locality.

Albania, Shkodër District, Toplanë, Drin Valley 20.5 km upstream of the Koman Dam, limestone gorge and a cave on the right bank of Koman Lake, 180 m, 42.2339°N, 19.8741°E.

Type material.

Type locality, leg. ZF, TK, DM, 18.vi.2012, holotype (HNHM 99485), paratypes (HNHM 99486/26+17a+4aj, NHMW 111221/11, SZ/2).

Other material.

Albania, Drin Valley ca. 17.5 km upstream of the Koman Dam, right bank, 42.2258°N, 19.8924°E, leg. ZE, ZF, AH, DM, 15.iv.2006 (HNHM 99487); ca. 18 km upstream of the Koman Dam, left side-valley, 170 m, 42.2269°N, 19.9050°E, leg. ZE, ZF, AH, DM, 15.iv.2006 (HNHM 99488); Tropojë District, 3 km W of the Lumi i Valbonës mouth along the Dushaj to Tetaj road, 240 m, 42.2623°N, 19.9911°E, leg. TD, ZE, ZF, DM, 7.x.2005 (HNHM 97074, MMM-B01325); same locality, leg. DA, ZE, ZF, JG, 26.vi.2014 (HNHM 99258, NHMW 111222).

Etymology.

The new taxon is named after Tibor Kovács, entomologist (HNHM), and Kornél Kovács, malacologist, both participants of several field trips to the Balkans.

Distribution.

Lower Drin Valley in northern Albania. Known to occur upstream of the Koman Dam up to the mouth of the Valbonë (Fig. 26). Along this section of the river we found Montenegrina shells in fluvial flotsam, which likely belong to this subspecies, but their poor condition does not allow unambiguous identification.

Remarks.

The specimens near the mouth of the Valbonë are usually smaller (Hs: 9.0-12.0 mm) with fewer (8-9) whorls. Some flotsam specimens have strongly wrinkled surface, but otherwise very similar shell structure.