Lautoconus pseudoponderosus (Glibert, 1952)

Harzhauser, Mathias & Landau, Bernard, 2016, A revision of the Neogene Conidae and Conorbidae (Gastropoda) of the Paratethys Sea, Zootaxa 4210 (1), pp. 1-178 : 88

Lautoconus pseudoponderosus (Glibert, 1952)

Conus (Chelyconus) pseudoponderosus Dollfus et Dautzenberg mss., nov. sp.— Glibert 1952a: 376, pl. 13, fig. 4.

Conus (Rhizoconus) ponderosus grinzingensis Sacco—Csepreghy-Meznerics 1956: 436, pl. 10, figs 3–4 [non Conus grinzingensis Sacco, 1893 = Lautoconus steinabrunnensis (Sacco, 1893) ].

Conus (Chelyconus) pseudoponderosus Dollfus & Dautzenberg (in Glibert, 1952) — Strausz 1966: 463, pl. 68, figs 6–7.

? Conus (Chelyconus) cfr. ponderosus Brocchi—Strausz 1966: 463 , pl. 69, fig. 11, pl. 70, fig. 1.

Conus (Chelyconus) pseudoponderosus Glibert 1952 —Bohn-Havas 1973: 1122, pl. 7, fig. 4, pl. 9, fig. 12.

Conus (Chelyconus) conoponderosus Sacco—Kókay 1996: 457 , pl. 4, fig. 1 [non Lautoconus conoponderosus (Sacco, 1893) ].

Varioconus conoponderosus (Sacco, 1893) — Kovács & Vicián 2013: 83, fig 111–115 [non Lautoconus conoponderosus (Sacco, 1893) ].

Conus pseudoponderosus Glibert, 1952 — Vaessen 2010: 12, figs 10C, 15–18 [cum syn.].

Type material. Holotype: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Nr. 10591, Cat. Types Invert. tert. I.R.Sc. N.B. nr. 2816, Manthelan, France ; middle Miocene, Langhian; illustrated in Glibert (1952a, pl. 13, fig. 4); paratypes: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Nr. 10591, Cat. Types Invert. tert. I.R.Sc. N.B. nr. 2817, Bossée, Manthelan, France; middle Miocene, Langhian.

Revised description. Moderately large to large, solid shells with broad conical to weakly cyrtoconoid spire and broad conical last whorl. Spire whorls weakly convex with deep suture, not striate. Subsutural flexure asymmetrically curved, rather shallow. Last whorl with broadly rounded shoulder, rarely slightly angulate. Siphonal fasciole broad, weakly swollen; siphonal canal short, wide, straight. Colour pattern consisting of about 15 spirals of widely-spaced subquadratic and rectangular dots (see Bohn-Havas 1973, pl. 9, fig. 12).

Discussion. This species was described by Glibert (1952a) from the Langhian of the Loire Basin. Later Strausz (1966) and Bohn-Havas (1973) identified this species also in the coeval deposits of the Paratethys. The broad conical outline, rounded shoulder and slightly convex spire whorls allow a clear separation from Lautoconus ponderosus . Therefore, we consider it a distinct species as proposed also by Vaessen (2010). The internal cast illustrated by Strausz (1966, pl. 69, fig. 11, pl. 70, fig. 1) might also represent this species. In our opinion, the Paratethyan records of Lautoconus conoponderosus (Sacco, 1893) also represent L. pseudoponderosus (e.g. Kovács & Vicián 2013, fig. 113, which is a hardly distinguishable from the holotype of L. pseudoponderosus ). Despite the similarity in shape, L. conoponderosus as defined by Davoli (1972) is smaller and more slender.

Paleoenvironment. Shallow marine environments (e.g. Letkés, Kovács & Vicián 2013).

Distribution in Paratethys. Badenian (middle Miocene): Pannonian Basin: Várpalota, Bánd, Diósd, Letkés, Szob, Budapest: Illés street, Kerepesi street ( Hungary).

Proto-Mediterranean Sea and northeastern Atlantic. Langhian: Loire Basin ( Glibert 1952a); Tortonian: Cacela Velha, Cacela Basin ( Portugal) ( Glibert 1952a).