Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis, De Mattia & Reier & Haring, 2021

De Mattia, Willy, Reier, Susanne & Haring, Elisabeth, 2021, Morphological investigation of genital organs and first insights into the phylogeny of the genus Siciliaria Vest, 1867 as a basis for a taxonomic revision (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae), ZooKeys 1077, pp. 1-175 : 1

Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov.

Figs 1.F, 18.8-18.9, 19.9-19.12, 24.9-24.10

Type locality.

Italy, Sicily, Monreale, W part of Monte Kumeta toward Jato Antica, 630 m asl, 37°57'8.18"N, 13°13'14.57"E.

Type material.

1 Holotype (NHMW 113617) and 4 Paratypes (NHMW 113618): Italy, Sicily, Monreale, W part of Monte Kumeta toward Jato Antica, 630 m asl, 37°57'8.18"N, 13°13'14.57"E, W. De Mattia and J. Macor leg., 22.iv.2017. 3 dissected spm. (CWDM 18225): same locality.

Shell diagnosis.

Shell not decollate; whorls ribbed; dorsal keel weak but distinguishable; inferior lamella high or very high; anterior upper palatal plicae present and detached from the lunella; parietalis long; palatal edge of clausilium plate distally receding, plate gutter-like narrowed, palatal edge against distal end bent upwards and more or less pointed.

Shell description

(Figs 19 .9-19.12, 24.9, 24.10). The shell is elongated, fusiform, sinistral, not decollate but sometimes decollate. It is light brown in colour. The external surface is regularly ribbed. The spire is slowly and regularly growing with (decollate) 9 1/2-10 3/4 slightly convex whorls. The sutures are shallow with whitish papillae present all along the teleoconch, moderately denser along the last whorls. The basal and the cervical keels are distinguishable. The umbilicus is closed. The aperture is ~ 1⁄5 of shell height and roundish to subovoid in shape. The PRI is short and its length slightly exceeds the L. It is not fused with the L. The PRI is not visible from a frontal view of the aperture. The L is dorsal. The PUPP is absent or vestigial. The AUPP is thin, detached from the L and barely visible from the aperture. The BAS starts directly from the L and it is long and strong, well visible from the aperture. The SCL is absent. The IL is high to very high. The SUL is tooth-like, very long and remarkably overlapping with the SPL. The SCOL is sometimes visible. The peristome is continuous, markedly thickened and reflected. It is not superiorly fused to the wall of the first whorl. The palatal edge of the clausilium is distally receding and bent upwards. The plate is narrow and gutter-like. The palatal edge against distal end is bent upwards and more or less blunt.

Measurements.

Holotype: not decollate shell height 21.7, whorl width 4.2, aperture height 4.1, aperture width 3.3. Paratypes (n = 30, not decollate): shell height 21.7 ± 1.4, whorl width 4.4 ± 0.2, aperture height 4.2 ± 0.2, aperture width 3.1 ± 0.4.

External morphology of the genital organs

(Fig. 18 .8). The FO is longer than the V (FO/V ratio 2.0-2.2). The VD is thin along its whole course. The FDBC is slightly longer than the BC+SDBC (FDBC/BC+SDBC ratio 1.0-1.2). The BC+SDBC is club-like and longer than the V (BC+SDBC/V ratio 1.4-1.6), with a clear distinction between the SDBC and the BC. The apex is very big and rounded. The D is slightly longer than the V (D/V ratio 2.1-2.2) and slightly longer that the BC+SDBC (D/BC+SDBC ratio 1.0-1.2), thinner than the BC+SDBC and with a small and round apex. The V is big and cylindrical. The A is large. The PC is longer than the V (P+E/V ratio 2.7-3.0). The PR is very short and robust. The ET is well visible. The E is longer than the P (E/P ratio 1.2-1.4) and gradually shrinking and turning into the VD.

Internal morphology of the genital organs

(Fig. 18 .9). The A shows weak longitudinal pleats entering directly from the P. The P presents 4 to 6 smooth and weak longitudinal pleats. These pleats become irregular and weaker as approaching their distal sections. The PP is big, rounded to rhomboid, smooth with a round apex. The P-E transition presents a first distal ER, while the PP and ELP originate from the second proximal ER. The epiphallar formula is: 1ER+2ER(PP+ELP). The E distally presents a variable set of irregular smooth small pleats the abruptly vanish. The remaining E shows a coarse pattern of finely granulated wall. The V shows a smooth and fine granulation, with no pleats or folds.

Comparative and taxonomical remarks.

Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov. in the COI tree is well embedded within the Siciliaria calcarae subclade and closely related to the nominate subspecies (Fig. 4 ). For a further differential comparative analysis see the comparative and taxonomical remarks of Siciliaria calcarae jatinensis ssp. nov.

Distribution.

Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov. is exclusively known from the type locality, the western slopes of the Monte Kumeta. Further field research could extend its distributional range to the whole western side of the Monte Kumeta (Monreale) and surrounding mountains. Following Nordsieck (2013b, supplemented 2021, Fig. 10 ) the range of Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov. can be extended also for Monte Maganoce (also known as Monte della Scala), W of Piana degli Albanesi. In the central-eastern part of Monte Kumeta massif the type form of S. calcarae calcarae is known to occur.

Ecology.

Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov. is an obliged rock-dweller and inhabits limestone walls and boulders. The type locality, that is not included in any protected area, comprises a rich population.

Etymology.

Para = next to, considering strong morphological, genetic and distribution affinities with the newly described Siciliaria calcarae jatinensis ssp. nov.

Figures

Figure 1. Wagner's (1913, 1925) and Brandt's (1961) Siciliaria genital drawings A Siciliaria septemplicata, Wagner, 1913: plate 572, fig. 14 B Siciliaria grohmanniana grohmanniana, Wagner, 1925: plate 1, fig. 8 C Siciliaria calcarae calcarae, 1925: plate 3, fig. 25 D Siciliaria ferrox, Brandt, 1961: fig. 1 E overall Siciliaria / Sicania and Sicilian Mauritanica distribution F Siciliaria / Sicania and Sicilian Mauritanica distribution of taxa.

Figure 4. BI tree of based on the COI data set of Siciliaria, Sicania and related genera. BI posterior probability values (> 0.90) of major nodes are indicated.

Figure 10. Siciliaria septemplicata (Philippi, 1836), Monte Gallo, Sferracavallo 10.1 shell 10.2 detail of the aperture 10.3 clausiliar plate 10.4 shell 10.5 detail of the aperture 10.6 detail of the columellar side of last whorl 10.7 clausiliar plate double side.

Figure 18. Siciliaria calcarae borgettensis ssp. nov., road to Romitello, Borghetto 18.1 whole distal genital organs 18.2 internal distal part of genital organs. Siciliaria calcarae jatinensis ssp. nov. San Giuseppe Jato 18.3 whole distal genital organs 18.4 internal distal part of genital organs 18.5 detail of the pseusopapilla 18.6 whole distal genital organs 18.7 internal distal part of genital organs. Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov., west side Monte Kumeta 18.8 whole distal genital organs 18.9 internal distal part of genital organs.

Figure 19. Siciliaria calcarae borgettensis ssp. nov., road to Romitello, Borghetto 19.1 shell 19.2 detail of the aperture 19.3 clausiliar plate double side 19.4 shell 19.5 detail of the aperture. Siciliaria calcarae jatinensis ssp. nov. San Giuseppe Jato 19.6 shell 19.7 detail of the aperture 19.8 clausiliar plate double side. Siciliaria calcarae parajatinensis ssp. nov., west side Monte Kumeta 19.9 shell 19.10 detail of the aperture 19.11 detail of the columellar side of last whorl 19.12 clausiliar plate double side.