Helix (Pelasga), 1908

Neubert, Eike, 2014, Revision of Helix LINNAEUS, 1758 in its eastern Mediterranean distribution area, and reassignment of Helix godetiana KOBELT, 1878 to Maltzanella HESSE, 1917 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicidae), Contributions to Natural History 26, pp. 1-200 : 143

Helix (Pelasga) HESSE, 1908

1908 Pelasga HESSE, Nachrichtsblatt der deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 40 (3): 139 [type species: Helix (Helicogena) pelasgica KOBELT, 1904 = Helix figulina ROSSMÄSSLER, 1839 ].

1917 Pseudofigulina HESSE, Nachrichtsblatt der deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 49 (3): 123 [nomen novum pro Pelasga HESSE, 1908 (non Pelasgis RAGONOT, 1890 ); superfluous emendation].

1918 Naegelea HESSE, Nachrichtsblatt der deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft 50 (1): 38 [type species: Helix (Pomatia) Salomonica NÄGELE, 1899 ].

Diagnosis: shells with a white columella and labial callus, shell sculpture smooth or with a fine to strong reticulate pattern; diverticulum long, epiphallus twice as long (or even longer) than penis, flagellum relatively short.

Hesse (1908: 139) defined Pelasga to comprise species with "a relatively long penis, the proximal part (epiphallus sensu Hesse) is longer than one third of the complete length; the flagellum is shorter than the penis. The diverticulum is as long as or longer than the stem of the bursa copulatrix". This definition suffers from the insufficient separation of penis and epiphallus, but he already recognised a long "penis" as one of the main character sets.

Remark: Naegelea is defined like Pelasga , only the dart complex is missing. It has to be stressed that the phenomenon of a complete loss of dart sac and glandulae mucosae is also known in the south Arabian helicoid species Levantina (Laevihelix) asagittata NEUBERT, 1998 . The morphological features of the penis of H. salomonica clearly conicide with other species of Pelasga , which makes Naegelea a synonym of the former.

This subgenus of Helix can be easily separated by the morphology of its genital organs. Members of Helix (Pelasga) inhabit a continuous part of the south-eastern Helix distribution range from Greece to Iran in the east, and to Israel and Jordan in the south.