Valiguna Grimpe & Hoffmann, 1925

Mitchueachart, Bowornluk, Sutcharit, Chirasak, Tongkerd, Piyoros & Panha, Somsak, 2024, Morphological and molecular evidence uncovers hidden species diversity in the leatherleaf slug genus Valiguna (Systellommatophora, Veronicellidae) from Thailand, ZooKeys 1212, pp. 79-107 : 79-107

Genus Valiguna Grimpe & Hoffmann, 1925

Semperula (Valiguna) Grimpe & Hoffmann, 1925 a: 391 , 392.

Valiguna : Hoffmann 1941: 236, 237. Gomes and Thomé 2004: 595, 596. Gomes 2007: 11, 12. Gomes et al. 2008: 163–169.

Type species.

Vaginula schneideri Simroth, 1895 , by original designation ( Grimpe and Hoffmann 1925 a: 392).

Diagnosis.

Male genitalia with penial retractor muscle attached to right hyponotum; penis and penial gland have separate muscular sheaths, fused anteriorly to form atrium that opens to male genital pore, and situated at base of lower right tentacle. Penis has penis base and penis glans, and an acropleurocaulis type of penis (vas deferens open at intermediate position between terminal and basal part of penis; Fig. 3 A ).

Remarks.

The nominal name Valiguna was initially proposed as a subgenus of Semperula to include a single species Semperula schneideri ( Simroth, 1895) from Sumatra ( Grimpe and Hoffmann 1925 a). Consecutively in the same year, this nominal genus-group name was disregarded and its type species was treated as S. siamensis schneideri (see Grimpe and Hoffmann 1925 b; Hoffmann 1925). However, due to its unique penis shape and an acropleurocaulis type penis (vas deferens opens at the median of the penis), Hoffmann (1941) raised Valiguna to the genus level, recognised Valiguna schneideri as its valid species name again, and also introduced a second species, V. isseli Hoffmann, 1941 from Sarawak. Later, Gomes and Thomé (2004) and Gomes et al. (2008) reviewed the veronicellids slugs from Oriental and Australian regions based on the type specimens and additional materials. They transferred ‘ Vaginula flava Heynemann, 1885 ’ and ‘ Vaginulus siamensis Martens, 1867 ’ to this genus and recognised ‘ V. schneideri ’ and ‘ V. isseli ’ as a synonyms of V. flava . Until now, only two species are validly recognised in this genus: V. flava is recorded from Sumatra and Borneo, and V. siamensis is widely distributed in Indochina and with a record from Sri Lanka ( Gomes et al. 2008; Inkhavilay et al. 2019; Sutcharit et al. 2020 a; GBIF 2023; MolluscaBase 2024).

Figures

Figure 3. A schematic drawing showing an arrangement of the reproductive system of Valiguna B – D female reproductive system of B V. siamensis, specimen CUMZ 16054 from Chanthaburi C V. semicerina sp. nov., holotype CUMZ 16087 from type locality, and D V. crispa sp. nov., holotype CUMZ 16094 from type locality.