Globotrochus Haas, 1935

Sutcharit, Chirasak, Backeljau, Thierry & Panha, Somsak, 2019, Re-description of the type species of the genera Ganesella Blanford, 1863 and Globotrochus Haas, 1935; with description of a new Ganesella species from Thailand (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae), ZooKeys 870, pp. 51-76 : 51

Genus Globotrochus Haas, 1935

Ganesella (Globotrochus) Haas, 1935: 47. Zilch 1960: 611. Zilch 1966: 210.

Globotrochus : Schileyko 2003: 1519. Schileyko 2011: 46.

Type species.

Helix onestera Mabille, 1887, by monotypy.

Description.

Shell trochoid, thin, translucent, 4-6 slightly convex whorls. Last whorl angulated or carinated, slightly descending in front. Colour light yellowish-brown. Embryonic shell smooth. Post apical whorls with irregular, thin, radial ridges and spiral line (smooth below peripheral angle or keel). Aperture ovate, moderately oblique, with slightly expanded and reflexed margins. Umbilicus closed. Shell height ranged from 16 to 17 mm and shell width ranged from 21 to 22 mm.

Genitalia typical of camaenids, but with thin (small size and fully functional) male genital organs (penis and epiphallus).

Radular teeth triangular and tricuspid.

Remarks.

The weak development of male genitalia in Globotrochus is unusual among the Indochinese taxa, but is common in papuinid genera, such as Papustyla Pilsbry, 1893, Letitia Iredale, 1941, Papunella Clench & Turner, 1959 and Wahgia Clench & Turner, 1959 ( Schileyko 2003). However, Papuininae are geographically confined to New Guinea, Australia and Melanesia ( Schileyko 2003), and have never been recorded in Indochina. Therefore, it seems as if 'weak male genital parts’ is an autapomorphy of Globotrochus .

Globotrochus differs from all other camaenid genera in Indochina (i.e., Chloritis , Satsuma , Ganesella and Neocepolis ) by its weakly developed male genital organs. In contrast, the genera Chloritis , Ganesella and Neocepolis have typical camaenid genitalia, with well-developed male genital organs, including a relatively short to long penis, an epiphallus and penial verge, and a short to long flagellum. Furthermore, Ganesella has no penial appendix. Satsuma has a fully-developed male genital organ, with a short to long penial appendage, but without a penial verge ( Solem 1993, Schileyko 2003, 2004, Sutcharit et al. 2007, Sutcharit and Panha 2010).

Currently, only two nominal species are assigned to Globotrochus . Based on the literature, museum specimens and recent field surveys, it seems as if Globotrochus is restricted to the north of Vietnam ( Vermeulen and Maassen 2003, Schileyko 2003, 2011). However, an ambiguous locality record from Elephant Mountain, Laos (sensu Schileyko 2011: 46) needs verification.