Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis Beckmann, 2004

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 tiberii scalettensis Beckmann, 2004

Figs 1.F, 27.4-27.6, 28.5-28.9, 29.9-29.11

Charpentieria (Siciliaria) tiberii scalettensis Beckmann 2004: 188.

Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis - Nordsieck 2007: 54.

Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis - Nordsieck 2013b: 10.

Specimens examined.

Italy, Sicily, Cinisi, Portella Scaletta , 90 m asl, 38°10'35.53"N, 13°07'27.22"E, [Lab ID 17_2, COI: MW758923 , ITS2: MW757108, MW757109, MW757110 ], W. De Mattia and J. Macor leg., 18.iv.2017. 3 dissected spm . Italy, Sicily, Cinisi, along the SS113 road from Villagrazia di Carini to Cinisi , 70 m asl, 38°10'42.45"N, 13°07'34.50"E, [Lab ID 39_1, COI: MW758882 , ITS2: MW757095, MW757096, MW757097 ], W. De Mattia and J. Macor leg., 18.iv.2017. 2 dissected spm .

Shell

(Figs 28 .5-28.9, 29.9-29.11). Shell mostly decollate; whorls striated; dorsal keel mostly prominent; inferior lamella high to very high; anterior upper palatal plica present, separated or connected with upper palatal plica; a second lower separate upper palatal present, anterior lower palatal plica strong; palatal edge of clausilium plate distally not receding, palatal edge distally more or less strongly bent upwards.

Measurements

(n = 45, decollate). shell height 18.5 ± 1.3, whorl width 4.6 ± 0.2, aperture height 4.0 ± 0.2, aperture width 2.9 ± 0.2.

External morphology of the genital organs

(Fig. 27 .4). The FO is as long as the V (FO/V = 1.0). The VD is thin along its whole course. The FDBC is slightly longer than the BC+SDBC (FDBC/BC+SDBC range 1.2-1.3). The BC+SDBC is club-like to cylindrical and slightly shorter than the V (BC+SDBC/V range 0.8-0.9), with no clear distinction between the SDBC and the BC. The apex is big and rounded. The D is longer than the V (D/V range 1.3-1.7) and longer that the BC+SDBC (D/BC+SDBC range 1.6-1.8), thinner than the BC+SDBC and with a small and round apex. The V is cylindrical. The A is large. The PC is longer than the V (P+E/V range 1.5-1.9). The PR is short and robust. The ET is visible. The E is longer than the P (E/P range 2.0-2.2) and gradually shrinking and turning into the VD.

Internal morphology of the genital organs

(Figs 27 .5, 27.6). The A is smooth or with few fleshy weak, oblique folds. The P presents a set of transverse, often interrupted smooth pleats. The penial wall is smooth. The PP is big, elongated and smooth. The P-E transition presents one ER. The PP doesn’t originate from an ER and is connected to ELP. The epiphallar formula is: 1ER+PP(ELP).

The P of the population from the road to Cinisi (300 from NNE of the type locality), proximally shows pleats that are longitudinal and progressively turn into a transverse pattern as proceeding towards the A. The PP is also markedly different, being heavily wrinkled but the epiphallar formula is the same as the LT. The E shows a pattern of three or four smooth longitudinal pleats. These pleats merge one into another forming two main fringed pleats that run as far as the VD. The V is almost smooth with a very fine granulation.

Ecology.

Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis inhabits limestone walls and cliffs, hiding among tuft of vegetation, rocks cracks and crevices. The taxon is common at the type locality (Villa Paradiso) with a rich population and few more scattered, smaller populations among the limestone spur.

Distribution.

Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis is known only from a small area of less than 0.5 km2 around the of the type locality: Portella Scaletta along the SS113 road, from Villagrazia di Carini to Cinisi (Palermo). It was collected along a limestone spur heading NNE.

Remarks.

90% of the specimens (n = 45) of Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis present a second, lower AUPP, shorter than the superior AUPP and detached both from the AUPP and the L. This feature is shared only with the nominate subspecies.

Sicania taxonomic part

In Table 7 the main differences among the Sicania taxa regarding both shell and genital main taxonomical characters are summarised.

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 27. Siciliaria tiberii armettensis ssp. nov., Grotta dei Puntali, Carini 27.1 whole distal genital organs 27.2 internal distal part of genital organs 27.3 detail of the pseudopapilla. Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis Beckmann, 2004 Portella Scaletta, Villagrazia 27.4 whole distal genital organs 27.5 internal distal part of genital organs 27.6 detail of the pseudopapilla.

Figure 28. Siciliaria tiberii armettensis ssp. nov., Grotta dei Puntali, Carini 28.1 shell 28.2 shell clausiliar plate double side 28.3 detail of the aperture 28.4 clausiliar plate double side. Siciliaria tiberii scalettensis Beckmann, 2004 Portella Scaletta, Villagrazia 28.5 shell 28.6 detail of the aperture 28.7 shell 28.8 detail of the aperture 28.9 clausiliar plate double side.