Laeocathaica zhengpingliui Wu, 2023

Wu, Min, Shen, Wang & Chen, Zhong-Guang, 2023, Land snail diversity in central China: revision of Laeocathaica Moellendorff, 1899 (Gastropoda, Camaenidae), with descriptions of seven new species, ZooKeys 1154, pp. 49-147 : 49

Laeocathaica zhengpingliui Wu sp. nov.

Figs 2A , 2B , 37A , 38 , 44D , 47K , 47L

Type material.

Holotype HBUMM05553-spec.1, fma, Hengdan, Wenxian, Gansu Province; north side of Baishuijiang River, along 212 Guodao, near point (32.864025°N, 104.859517°E); hillside, bushes; 2006-IX-29; coll. Wu, M., Liu, J.-M., Zheng, W. and Gao, L.-H.; DNA voucher HBUMM05527. Paratypes HBUMM05553-spec.2-49, 49 shells including 3 fms (1 broken), 15 juvs and 41 fma, same data as holotype. Ten shells randomly selected from 43 fully mature shells were measured. 2 fma dissected (anatomy no. sp2). HBUMM05565b, 1 fms without protoconch, 9 juvs; Hengdan, Wenxian, Gansu Province; north side of Baishuijiang River, along 212 Guodao, top of hill; 2006-IX-29, Wu, M., Liu, J.-M., Zheng, W. and Gao, L.-H. HBUMM05576c, 1 fma with partially broken shell, dissected; same data as HBUMM05565b.

Measurement of holotype.

Shell height 10.0 mm, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, aperture height 5.6 mm, aperture breadth 7.5 mm, umbilicus diameter 7.0 mm, protoconch whorls 15/8, whorls 91/4.

Diagnosis.

Protoconch without granules. Umbilicus more than 1/3 maximum diameter, through which protoconch is visible. Beneath carina a chestnut band present. Palatal with two blunt teeth. Mucous glands six. Proximal 4/5 of penis with ~ 6 thick internal pilasters. Two adjacent pairs of penial pilasters fusing into two Y-shaped forks at distal 2/3 of penis. Vagina between atrium and dart sac moderately elongated. Proximal accessory sacs two, separate, symmetrical, each with a pore leading to opening of accessory sac.

Description of shell.

Sinistral, depressed, thin but somewhat solid. Shell with 85/8-91/4 fairly flat whorls. Suture impressed. Protoconch 11/2-13/4 whorls, with very fine axial striae which may be invisible on the first whorl possibly by weathering or erosion. Growth lines thick or rib-like above but fine beneath carina. Above periphery a sharp whitish carina present. Aperture oblique, peach-shaped, slightly descending in front. On ring-like thickening within aperture, a blunt tooth present near columella and another one near carina. Peristome almost not expanded, just minutely reflexed at lower part. Columella oblique. Umbilicus with a tint of pale brown, broadly conical, more than 1/3 of maximum diameter. Protoconch visible through umbilicus. Whorls apically in yellowish white with intermittent brownish patches. In umbilical view shell yellowish white with several brownish patches, and just beneath carina a chestnut band present.

General anatomy.

Eversible head wart lowly present. At mantle edge leaf-shaped appendage absent. On internal body wall of head region between ommatophorous insertions with neither glands nor tiny pits. Body greyish brown, central dorsum with pale longitudinal stripes. Sole dirty white. Jaw arcuate, with ~ 6 more or less projecting ribs.

Anatomy of genital organs.

Penial sheath very short. Penis distally slightly expanded, externally simple. Penis of proximal 4/5 internally with ~ 6 thick longitudinal pilasters, two adjacent pairs of which fuse into two Y-shaped forks at distal 2/3; pilasters then branching into fine pilasters that are connected to form network. Epiphallic papilla absent. Vas deferens narrow throughout. Vagina between atrium and dart sac somewhat elongated. Accessory sac spherical, empty, inserting into dart sac at middle part, opening near the opening of dart chamber. Mucous glands six, each a single tube or simply branched. Proximal accessory sacs two, separate, symmetrical, each with a pore leading to opening of accessory sac/dart chamber. Love dart ~ 5 mm long, rounded and bladeless throughout. Bursa copulatrix duct equally narrow.

Etymology.

This new species is named after Mr. Liu, Zheng-Ping [刘正平], an amateur Chinese conchologist.

Ecology.

This species is found on exposed slate rocks of hill side.

Distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality.

Remarks.

The new species is conchologically close to Laeocathaica odophora ; however, its carina is blunter, the aperture has only two weak teeth near the columella instead of two strong apertural teeth in the latter species, and the umbilicus is significantly broader. Regarding genitalia, the new species has two separated proximal accessory sacs of equal size, while in Laeocathaica odophora two proximal accessory sacs are ventrally adjacent and separated only by a very thin membrane, and the much smaller right proximal accessory sac makes L. odophora have an asymmetrical dart sac.

Figures

Figure 2. A distribution map of all known species of Laeocathaica Moellendorff, 1899 except L. anceyi (Moellendorff in Ancey, 1889), L. hisanoi Pall-Gergely, 2022, and L. leucorhaphe Moellendorff, 1899 whose precise localities are not known; white dots: the localities where no Laeocathaica species was ever found B distribution of the new species described in this paper, yellow dots: L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., green dot: L. zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., brown dots: L. parapolytyla Wu, sp. nov., white dot: L. qiminglii Wu, sp. nov., pink dot: L. cheni Wu, sp. nov., blue dots: L. qishilii Wu, sp. nov., orange dots: L. nordsiecki Wu, sp. nov. C distribution of L. carinifera (H. Adams, 1870) (green dots), L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov. (yellow dots), and L. stenochone Moellendorff, 1899 (blue dots) D distribution of L. amdoana Moellendorff, 1899 (green dots), L. distinguenda Moellendorff, 1899 (pink dots), and L. tropidorhaphe Moellendorff, 1899 (blue dots) C equivalent to the larger box in (A), B, D equivalent to the smaller box in (A).

Figure 37. A Laeocathaica zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 05553 - spec. 1, holotype B L. cheni Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 05553 b-spec. 1, holotype C L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 01179 a-spec. 1, holotype D L. nordsiecki Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 08446 - spec. 1, holotype.

Figure 38. Genital anatomy of Laeocathaica zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 05553 - spec. 1, holotype A general view B right view of dart apparatus C cross-section of dart sac at the position arrowed in (A). Abbreviations: AS - accessory sac; At - atrium; BCD - bursa copulatrix duct; DS - dart sac; DtC - a chamber containing love dart; Ep - epiphallus; FO - free oviduct; MG - mucous glands; P - penis; PAS - proximal accessory sac; PR - penial retractor muscle; PS - penial sheath; Va - vagina; VD - vas deferens.

Figure 44. Internal view of penis A, B Laeocathaica tropidorhaphe Moellendorff, 1899 A general view, HBUMM 05619 - spec. 1 B proximal penis, HBUMM 05664 - spec. 1 C L. qishilii Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM 08298 - spec. 1, holotype D L. zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM 05553 - spec. 1, holotype E L. qingchuanensis Wu, sp. nov., general view, HBUMM 01179 - spec. 1, holotype F-H L. cheni Wu, sp. nov. F, G HBUMM 05553 b-spec. 1, holotype F general view G proximal penis H HBUMM 08428 - spec. 1, paratype, partial internal view of distal penis. Arrows indicate the position where two penial internal pilasters fuse into one distal pilaster.

Figure 47. SEM micrographs A, B Laeocathaica odophora Moellendorff, 1899, HBUMM 08430 A protoconch B teleoconch C, D L. dolani (Pilsbry, 1934), HBUMM 08439 C protoconch D teleoconch E, F L. nordsiecki Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 08446, paratype, subadult E protoconch F teleoconch G, H L. pewzowi Moellendorff, 1899, HBUMM 08452 G protoconch H teleoconch I, J L. carinalis Chen & Zhang, 2004, HBUMM 08453 I protoconch J teleoconch K, L L. zhengpingliui Wu, sp. nov., HBUMM 05553 - spec. 2, paratype, juvenile K protoconch L teleoconch.