Austrochloritis copelandensis, Shea & Köhler, 2020

Shea, Michael & Köhler, Frank, 2020, Eastern Australian Land Snail Species Closely Related to Austrochloritis porteri (Cox, 1868), with Description of a New Species (Mollusca, Eupulmonata, Camaenidae), Records of the Australian Museum 72 (3), pp. 63-76 : 74-75

Austrochloritis copelandensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8177FD12-CE11-4B65-92CD-F37658F02393

Figs 2G , 6C,D , 9A,B

Holotype AM C.582897 (1 w, dissected, sequenced; Fig. 2G ) from NSW, Copeland Tops SCA, off Scone road, Hidden Treasure Walking Track, -32.00° 151.83°; leg. KÖhler, Xie, Shea, 3/6/2018 . Paratypes AM C.575460 (2 w, one dissected, sequenced), as for the holotype ; AM C.459997 (1w, Copeland Tops SCA, Hidden Treasure Walking Track).

Non-type material examined. AM C.575265 (1 w, Bucketts Mountains off Bucketts Road nr Gloucester, Bucketts Scenic Walk, -32.00° 151.94°).

Description

Shell ( Figs 2G , 6 C–D). Medium sized to large (W = 13–17 mm), H = (8.5–11 mm); for n = 4); discoidal in shape with a flat to low domed spire, with on average 4.5 rounded to slightly shouldered whorls that increase gradually in diameter; sutures deeply incised; protoconch sculpture of low radials with rugose pustules at apex and with periostracal setae extending well onto protoconch; teleoconch sculpture of low growth lines and corrugations with periostracal sculpture of strongly curved, crowded and short setae; interstitial microsculpture of very fine wavy periostracal ridgelets and scales; end of last whorl descending strongly below whorl plane on reaching sexual maturity; aperture moderately tilted forward from axis of coiling, with thickened and strongly reflected white outer lip and with shallow sulcus behind lip; umbilicus widely open with U-shaped profile; shell colour from pale yellowish brown to reddish brown, sometimes with a darker mid peripheral colour band.

Reproductive anatomy ( Fig. 9 ). Penis cylindrical, narrowing toward genital opening, no penial sheath; penial sculpture of corrugated interlocking transverse to longitudinal filaments, distally giving rise to longitudinal rows of strap-like filaments; epiphallus more than twice as long as penis, with well-developed finger-like epiphallic flagellum at distal end, moderately long, broad at base, tapering to blunt apex and kinked; penial verge elongately conical and curved with tapering apex, free to partially attached to penial wall, vergic slit longitudinal along length of verge. Verge length equivalent to between about half to two thirds of length of penis. Penial retractor half the length of epiphallus from its base; vas deferens entering head of epiphallus through single pore just below base of epiphallic flagellum; vas deferens narrow to broad at its junction with base of apex of epiphallus but later tapering to a narrow tubule; vagina cylindrical, as long as or one and one quarter longer than penis, inner wall with prominent longitudinal anastomising pilasters and filaments; bursa copulatrix long and broad, particularly at its base, folded or kinked several times and as long as or slightly longer than oviduct with inflated bulb-like head, aligning with base of albumen gland; hermaphroditic duct inserting into head of talon.

Comparative remarks

Austrochloritis copelandensis is conchologically rather similar to A. nundinalis , especially in regard to its comparatively large size (both still being smaller than A. porteri ) ( Fig. 8 ). However, both species differ from each other in that shells of similar size have about 0.5 more whorls in A. copelandensis than A. nundinalis . Shells of A. copelandensis differ from both A. nundinalis and A. niangala by having a well-reflected apertural lip and sulcus and a somewhat wider umbilicus. The reproductive anatomy of all three species is rather similar, but A. copelandensis differs from A. nundinalis and A. niangala by having a much longer and more slender penial verge. Austrochloritis copelandensis co-occurs with other Austrochloritis species: At the type locality, Copeland Tops, the other species resembles A. nambucca Iredale, 1943 while at the second known site, Bucketts Range, the second species is A. disjuncta (Gude, 1906) . Both species are not closely related with A. copelandensis based on the mitochondrial phylogeny presented by KÖhler et al. (2019).

Distribution and ecology

This species lives in scree, dry vine thickets and dry rainforest in the, Manning Valley ( Fig. 5 ), where it has been found under logs and in rock piles. Only two occurrences are currently known; both located in a distance of about 25 km from each other at altitudes of 236 and 348 m on sedimentary laminated siltstones and sandstones (Copeland Tops) or rhyolite (Bucketts Range) bedrock, respectively.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. This study has been funded by the Australian Government through an ABRS Bush Blitz Grant to FK (TTC216- 16), which is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks are due to Bruce Jenkins, Sydney, who donated additional funds to support this project. Thanks are also due to Sue Lindsay, Macquarie University, and Anders Hallan (AM) for producing SEM micrographs. We appreciate the comments of two reviewers, which helped to improve the clarity of this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 2. Shells (front, top, and umbilical view).(A, B) Austrochloritis nundinalis: A, probable syntype AM C.112312 (Nundle, NSW); B, AM C.575260 (Sheba Dams, E of Nundle); (C–F) Austrochloritis niangala: C, holotype,AM C.339934 (ESE of Tamworth); D, paratype of A. kaputarensis, AM C.452038 (NE of Manilla); E, AM C.478658 (Mt Kaputar); F, AM C.561050 (Georges Mountain, Basin NR); G, Austrochloritis copelandensis sp. nov., holotype AM C.582897 (Copeland Tops). Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figure 5. Occurrence records of Austrochloritis nundinalis, A niangala (= A. niangala, A. kaputarensis, Austrochloritis sp. NE3), and A. copelandensis sp. nov. (= Austrochloritis sp. SN39) from the malacological collection of the Australian Museum. Source of base map: Google Maps.

Figure 6. Scanning electron micrographs of shells of Austrochloritis (teleoconch viewed from above, protoconch viewed from above). (A, B) Austrochloritis kaputarensis AM C.478659, Mt Kaputar; (C, D) Austrochloritis copelandensis sp. nov., paratype, AM C.459997, Copeland Tops.

Figure 8. Comparisonof shell dimensionsof Austrochloritis nundinalis, A.niangala, A.kaputarensis, andA.copelandensis

Figure 9. Reproductive anatomy of Austrochloritis copelandensis sp. nov. (A) Penial anatomy, paratype,AM C.575460, Copeland Tops; (B) penial anatomy, holotype, AM C.582897, Copeland Tops; (C) reproductive system, paratype, AM C.575460, Copeland Tops; scale bar = 3 mm.