Tropidophora insularis (Pfeiffer, 1852)

Muratov, Igor V., 2010, Terrestrial molluscs of Cabo Delgado and adjacent inland areas of north-eastern Mozambique, African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 255-255 : 263

Tropidophora insularis (Pfeiffer, 1852)

Fig. 7

Cyclostoma insulare: Pfeiffer 1852: 64 (“ Isle de France ” – error; 13½ × 17 mm).

A common species, recorded from seven inland stations, with a general distribution from South Africa to Kenya. “Described from a set in the Cuming collection labelled “ Mauritius,” a locality which Pfeiffer amended to “Natal” in his own working copy of his Monograph” (Connolly 1939: 547). Similar to, and probably a sister species of, T. ligata , with different ecological preferences since they do not co-occur at least in north-eastern Mozambique. Cases of co-occurrence in South Africa should be re-evaluated. Can easily be distinguished from T. ligata by the fairly strong spiral sculpture on the periphery as well as on the rest of the shell, the sculpture being weaker and not as dense and regular as in T. nyasana . It is much larger but otherwise very similar to the following species.

Figures

Figs 3–14. Cyclophoridae: (3) Cyathopoma diegoense, 1.8×2.5 mm, stn 7. Maizaniidae: (4) Maizania wahlbergi, 11.5×15.2 mm, stn 3. Pomatiidae: (5) Tropidophora nyasana, 16.7×17.7 mm, stn 7; (6) T. ligata, 17.5×18.3 mm, stn 17; (7) T. insularis, 17.2×17.0 mm, stn 4; (8) T. zanguebarica, 11.0×10.8 mm, stn 9. Truncatellidae: (9) Truncatella marginata, 6.0×2.5 mm, stn 7. Pupillidae: (10) Pupoides coenopictus, 4.3×2.2 mm, stn 7. Gastrocoptidae: (11) Gastrocopta klunzingeri, 1.8×1.0 mm, stn 7. Vertiginidae (stn 7): (12) Nesopupa peilei, 1.7×1.0 mm; (13) Nesopupa corrugata, 2.0×1.0 mm; (14) Nesopupa bisulcata, 1.3×0.8 mm.Scale bar 1 mm in Figs 3, 10–14; 10 mm in Figs 4–8; 2 mm in Fig. 9.